Cho's Regrets
by Tai94
Summary: Cho hasn't given up on Harry yet, two years after the battle of hogwarts. So she tried to stop Harry's wedding, and it gets her in a rather complicated situation. Married to Harry and with an amnesiac Ginny, what happens next? Rated T just in case.
1. Looking back

Also known as…

Disclaimer: The characters are Rowling's, the plot is mine...

Cho looked at herself in the gold gilded mirror and sighed. Here she was, single and unhappy, dressed in the pink cocktail dress that she had made for her for Harry's wedding. HER Harry's wedding. She still couldn't believe that this was really going to happen to her. Cho Chang, the most popular girl in Ravenclaw, was going to attend her ex-boyfriends wedding as a bridesmaid and smile her phony smile as her Harry married that redhead. She couldn't let this happen to her, she had already sunk into depression when her first love had died.

Her eyes hardened as she continued to stare at herself. No, she thought to herself, this time she won't let anyone take the person she loved away from her again. She never wanted her and Harry to separate. She only let it happen because she thought that it was just a temporary arrangement. Then with Voldemort officially back in the sixth year she was too worried about her parents to try to even fix their relationship.

Reflecting back, a specific scene replayed in her head which easily brought tears to her eyes.

_She was walking beside the lake, worrying about the outside world and imagining all kinds of worst case scenarios of what she might see once back in their house. Visions of the dark mark hovering above her house haunted her minds eye. Then the tinkling of carefree laughter broke her train of thought. Her eyes automatically roamed around her to discover where the laughing was coming from. They came to rest on a particularly happy couple sitting on a checkered sheet, feeding each other small cupcakes. Her heart felt like it had been stopped as she just continued to gape at them. __**Harry and Ginny.**_

_'No!' she had thought then, 'That couldn't be them._

_'_

_But it was. Cho studied Harry's face and she had a painful realization. Harry looked so happy. He was happier than he had ever been when they had been together .His green eyes sparkled and his lips were curved in a loving smile. Ginny, on the other hand, looked like all her dreams had come true while Cho felt that all of hers had just been shattered._

_They talked and laughed and fed each other cakes and cream poufs from the small basket lain by their feet. Ginny occasionally threw bread to the Giant Squid, which grabbed them from the surface with its tentacles and gobbled them up gratefully. _

_Cho was about to leave. She had seen too much for her heart to take and she needed to be away from it right away. She had been holding on this small hope that Harry was moping and aching for her to be back again only to realize that he had been enjoying himself, having picnics with Ginny by the lake and never giving her another thought. It felt like dying. Cho began to turn away as she held her small fist against her chest when something happened that made her heart die right at that moment._

_Harry lifted a small chocolate cake and pressed it against Ginny's lips. Then without warning, he leaned over and kissed Ginny sweetly. Running his hands through her hair as Ginny's eyes, which had widened in surprise, closed in contentment._

_Cho felt her throat stricken. She started crying then but she didn't notice. She turned and ran away, as far away as she could from Harry and Ginny, until her legs gave out under her. Then she could only sob till her shoulders shook and her eyes ached._

The present Cho held back her tears, afraid to ruin the makeup she had just applied. She dabbed her eyes with a white linen handkerchief. She stood up and gave a big inhale. Something flamed in her at the memory of that one hope-shattering kiss.

She was still going to Harry's wedding. But this time, she wasn't going to just stand there dumbly as she watched the man she loved get married to someone else, unlike the Cho she had just seen again. This time she decided that things will end up very different from that.

A/N: This is my first fanfic so it may not be very good. I just got the idea of what Cho might have felt through it all and I just started typing. Continuation of the story depends on reviews. Thanks for reading!


	2. Bad Luck

"You cannot go inside Harry

A/N: Thanks for the reviews!

"You cannot go inside Harry! It ees bad luck for ze groom to see ze bride before ze wedding!" Fleur told Harry firmly.

She was standing in front of the wooden door leading into Ginny's bedroom, both of her hands held aloft, gripping both edges of the door frame to prevent Harry from entering the room, like a sentry guard.

"You honestly believe in that sort of rubbish?" Harry grumbled. He was standing in front of Fleur and was out of breath since he had, just a few moments ago, raced Fleur to the door and lost. He was hunched over, his hands holding his knees.

"You can't see Ginny until ze wedding begins!" Fleur said, a trifle irritated.

"But Fleur….!" Harry protested.

"No buts!"

"Ginny…"Harry began saying when a loud bawling from the room across Ginny's drowned out his voice. George emerged form the said room with a struggling and bawling toddler in his arms. There was one thing striking about this toddler. He had vivid purple hair.

"Fleur!" George grunted, half carrying, half dragging the little child behind him, "Help me here, only you can calm this little guy down."

Finally Teddy managed to escape from George's grip and he plopped down indignantly on the floor. Harry looked down at his Godson and reached out to ruffle the already messy hair but was stopped by a protesting cry from Teddy. He straightened up and glowered at George, as if he was blaming the other for the child's crankiness.

"What did you do to him?" Harry demanded crossly.

"I don't know what got into him. I was just trying to make him wear the tuxedo you bought for him. Then he started screaming."

Fleur shook her head daintily. She flicked her golden hair over her shoulder and gathered up Teddy in her white arms.

"I see what you've been doing wrong George." She said in a matter of fact tone. "You have to be gentle wiz him."

Fleur seemed to have forgotten all about the budding row between Harry and her and she swept out of the hall and into the nursery with a red faced George hobbling after her.

Harry smiled to himself and pushed open the door to Ginny's room. Hermione was already in the room, wearing a cream off-shoulder dress which fell to her toes. The last time Harry had seen her get dressed up like this was on Fleur and Bills Wedding.

She was fastening lilies into Ginny's red hair.

Ginny was sitting on a chair facing away from him, but as Harry was pushing the door open the hinges creaked.

Both Ginny and Hermione turned. Harry felt a lump go up to his throat and his heart seemed to have enlarged and he heard his heartbeat echo within him. Ginny looked beautiful, no that was an understatement, she was stunning. She was wearing a snow white dress which made her look simply magical. Flutter sleeves adorned her simple dress and the long white train completed the enchanted look. Her cheeks were rosier than usual and her lips were painted with rose lipstick and formed the perfect curve as her light brown eyes caught sight of him. She looked like she was glowing. Her red hair was tied in a loose bun on the back of her head and a few loose strands fell down to frame her beautiful face.

"Hi, Harry." She said breathlessly as Harry stood mesmerized at the way those perfect lips formed his name.

"H-hi." He breathed back. "You look….beautiful."

Hermione exchanged glances with Ginny and they giggled, a sound which was like music to Harry's ears. Harry only just managed to stop himself from asking her to laugh again.

"Thanks, Harry."

And they stood their just gazing into each others eyes with Hermione debating within her on whether she should leave them alone or not. When suddenly Fleur was back and her eyes were blazing.

"Harry! I told you not to get in here!" she bellowed.

Harry eyed her, amused. She really was making a big deal of this thing wasn't she? Well she really didn't need to worry because Harry couldn't think of anything bad possibly happening to his wedding. No one can stop his happiness now. Ginny was going to be his wife. He could imagine the ceremony now, with a little white haired man saying the words that would make them ultimately bound for life.

"I now pronounce you, husband and wife."

Harry smiled to himself. Fleur became very irritated with him, thinking that Harry was laughing at her.

"Are you listening to me Harry?! I'm serious!"

"Yeah, I am." Harry sighed.

Fleur opened her mouth to argue but at that moment Mrs. Weasley poked her head in the room and announced that the first guests have arrived and they were needed to greet them and lead them to their chairs. Ginny attempted to follow her out the door like the others but she was waved off by a: "No dear, you just stay here and get ready." which she heeded with a sigh of unveiled relief.

"See you, Harry." Ginny whispered in Harry's ear as he slipped out. "Don't believe in Fleur's nonsense, there's no jinx, there's no such thing."

Harry was taken aback by her words. He gave her an uncertain look and she only smiled.

"Jinx?" he repeated questioningly.

"So you really weren't listening to Fleur, huh?" Ginny asked, and Harry could only nod, "Well, since there's no jinx you don't have to worry about that. Go on and see to our guest Harry."

Harry smiled again and pecked Ginny's cheek.

"Till then, Mrs. Ginny Potter."

Cho stood outside the burrow. She gazed at the crooked infrastructure. It was shabby looking and was utterly odd.

_Harry deserves better. He deserves to be with a proper family. With a proper home. Unlike this dump._

Cho shook her head. Some sort of evil being had awaken in her ever since she had decided to do this. Or maybe it wasn't evil. Maybe it was just her heart telling her the truth, the cruel truth. Yes, that was it.

She moved forward and scanned the crowds already there. Familiar faces sprung everywhere. There was Lee Jordan, accompanied by a newly spirited George Weasley, Draco Malfoy who seemed very displeased by being there but was being led eagerly forward by Hermione. Ron Weasley who was looking sourly at an old lady she didn't know. Oliver Wood was also there, the guy she only knew to have yelled the words: "Stop being a gentleman, Harry! Knock her off her broom if you have to!".

Then she was back to those days when she was still the Ravenclaw seeker, that match when she had competed with Harry. She was soaring through the skies on her cleansweep, trailing Harry closely on the quidditch field with the wind tossing her hair behind her and whipping past her cheeks. The crowds were cheering. That incomparable pleasure of flying rushing through her veins.

Then as sudden as the memory had come, it had gone. And she was standing in front of The Burrow again, not in the quidditch field, when days had been much happier.

She sighed, then she moved into the crowds. She had someone to see.

A/N: Bit long, had to cut it short. Might be disappointing but the next chapter WILL be better. Forgive the amateur.


	3. Impersonator

"You cannot go inside Harry

_**PLEASE REVIEW!!**_

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"Here, this is what you're looking for right?" The old man asked; handing her a small vial filled with a thick muddy potion.

"Yes, thank you." She took the vial in her hands and slipped it inside her dress. She smiled at him.

"If I may ask, Ms. Chang, what are you going to use that potion for?"

Cho's eyes flashed and she quickly turned around.

"That is none of your business." She said stiffly. The old man stared at her then shook his head.

"Well if you won't tell me it's alright. Just, use it well." He mumbled.

'Oh, I will." Then with a small smile she walked quietly away.

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Ginny paced back and forth in her room, her dress whirling around her. She knew it was almost time for the wedding to start, but for her it still seemed an eternity away. She walked over to the window and looked out. There were so many people outside and her nervousness rose. This uncomfortable feeling had begun when Fleur had mentioned that thing about the jinx. Though she knew that the jinx couldn't possibly be true it still gave her a strange feeling.

She felt the hairs on her arms go up and she briskly rubbed them with her hands. She walked away from the window and sat in front of her dresser. She sat there for a few minutes but her feet felt restless so she stood up again. But before she could take a step anywhere she saw the door open from her mirror.

_It's time. _She thought and she immediately turned around with a big smile on her face. But it wasn't her Mom waiting for her by the door. It was Cho Chang.

"Cho! What are you doing here?" Ginny asked quickly.

She had never been comfortable with Cho. The fact that she had been Harry's girlfriend before her had always remained between them, causing both of them to ignore each other most of the time. There was no reason for Cho to visit her in here, especially not on her wedding day. They were mere acquaintances, knowing each other only by name and through stories told to them by their friends.

Cho didn't respond. She closed the door quietly behind her and smiled evasively at Ginny. Ginny felt the nervousness in her grow. Why was Cho acting so odd?

Then Ginny's heart jumped when Cho withdrew her wand from within her cloak. What was Cho planning to do? Ginny didn't have her wand on her; she didn't think that she needed it. It was locked in the dresser.

"Cho, what are you doing?" Ginny asked cautiously, she backed up against her dresser as Cho came closer. Ginny hated feeling helpless, but she also didn't think that she really needed help right now. It was only Cho after all. She moved her hands over the drawers of the dresser. Trying to find the one where her wand was stored. Then she found it, she grabbed the handle with her hand and pulled the drawer open.

Cho eyed her looking scared then her expression hardened and she raised her wand above her head. Ginny grabbed quickly for her wand but was too late.

"Obliviate!"

Ginny fell to the floor with a thud muffled by the red carpeting. Her wand falling beside her.

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Cho walked over to Ginny. She bent down and raised one of Ginny's eyelids. She was out, Cho decided. She straightened up and pointed her wand at Ginny's dress.

"Geminio." She murmured.

An identical copy of Ginny's white wedding dress appeared in the air. Cho smiled softly then looked down guiltily at Ginny.

"You know, Ginny. I never wanted to do this." Cho whispered. "But I just have to have Harry."

She put the copy dress on and knelt beside Ginny again. She ran her hand through Ginny's hair and she gently pulled one strand of red hair from Ginny's head. Ginny twitched but fell asleep again. Cho stood up again and took out a small vial of potion from her discarded dress. She unstopped the bottle. Cho flicked her eyes again on Ginny's crumpled form then with no hesitation she dumped the strand of hair inside the vial. It turned into a glowing shade of scarlet. Almost clear, red like blood, but looking nothing like blood. Cho downed the vial. She felt prickly sensations all over her body and she threw the vial on the floor, causing it to shatter into millions of little pieces. Cho fell to her knees as she felt herself get shorter, her bangs grew longer and turned ginger in front of her eyes. Her pale complexion became creamy and rosy and it took all Cho could to stop her from screaming in pain.

A few moments later the pain was gone. Cho stood up from the ground panting. She walked over to the mirror and didn't see herself, she saw Ginny.

"Perfect." She said to herself.

She walked over to the real Ginny and hoisted her up. Ginny's eyes flickered but then they closed again.

"You're taking a long time to wake up, huh." Cho groaned, she laid Ginny back down on the ground again.

That was a good thing, since from what Cho had read about memory charms, the longer it took for the person obliviated took to wake up, the more memory was erased, or was it harder for the memory to return?. Cho wasn't sure, but any of the two would help her so she didn't worry about that anymore.

Cho had only one problem now. There was no place to hide the real Ginny in the room, and she knew nothing about the Weasley's house. Someone was bound to come up here to call her down any moment now, and if that someone saw two Ginny's, her plan would be ruined. There was only one choice left to her. She picked up Ginny's wand and pointed it at the owner. She murmured a spell she had only used once before and Ginny disappeared. Or at least she looked like she disappeared. Ginny had become invisible. Cho hoped that no one would trip over her.

Cho had just moved Ginny's invisible body on one side of the room when the door opened.

"Ginny, everyone's waiting for you downstairs."

Cho quickly turned around to see a plump red haired woman standing by the door.

_This must be Ginny's mother._ She thought to herself. She smiled at the woman and followed her out of the house and into the backyard. Someone Ginny was supposed to know handed her a bouquet of white lilies and congratulated her. Melodious music was coming from some flowers attached to the chairs closest to the aisle. Bridesmaids walked down the aisle and a beautiful little girl with gold hair glided toward the front throwing rose petals in the air. Then before Cho knew it, it was her turn to walk down the aisle. She stepped forward nervously. She knew that she only had an hour before her appearance returned to Cho Chang again. She had forgotten about that when she had been in Ginny's room and she wasn't quite sure how much time she still had.

She was worrying about all this while walking down the aisle but when she reached the front and saw Harry she forgot all her worries.

He was smiling at her as if he had never been happier in his life. His smile melted Cho's heart. She approached him and he reached out his hand to take her own soft one. But it wasn't hers it was Ginny's. He wasn't seeing her, he was seeing Ginny. This made Cho hurt so much, but she still forced herself to smile back at him. They turned to face a balding and tiny man who was a head shorter then Cho, or rather, Ginny. The ceremony went on but Cho didn't hear any of it, she just stared at Harry from under her veil, she felt so happy yet guilty at the same time. Then the ceremony was over, the tiny man was smiling at both of them and Harry had turned toward her. He lifted her veil and Cho felt her pulse quicken. It was obvious that the minister had just said the words: "You may kiss the bride.", for Harry was leaning in and he kissed her gently on the lips, and she kissed back. It was bliss for Cho, it was only the second time that they kissed, and luckily, this time, she wasn't crying.

Then Harry broke the kiss and the guests stood up and cheered. Everyone was happy. So was Cho. She was finally married to Harry and Ginny couldn't take Harry away from her anymore. She smiled happily at Harry and he smiled back at her, contentment in his eyes.

Then something went horribly wrong. Harry's eyes widened and his smile vanished as Cho changed. Her time was up, the potions effects were over. Her ginger hair darkened, the ones in front of her face shortened back into bangs and she shot up. She was Cho again in front of everyone's eyes. Someone gasped and Mrs. Weasley fainted in the front row.

"Cho?!"

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A/N: cliffhanger! Thanks for the reviews everyone!


	4. Who am I?

Also known as…

A/N: sorry my first 4th chapter was a carbon copy of the 3rd. Here's the real one

I sat up and gazed groggily around me. At first my vision was blurred and everything looked like shapeless lumps of color, I blinked twice and everything became clear in an instant.

I was in a small room with a red and slightly faded carpet; there were some moving posters of people flying on broomsticks tacked to the walls. A long, cream off-shoulder dress was spread on top of the red bed spread of a mahogany single bed pushed against the opposite wall.

"What is this place?" I thought to myself.

I got on my feet and realized that I had been lying by the foot of a battered dresser with a large mirror attached. I gazed in the mirror and realized with a jolt that I had no reflection. I quickly raised my hands in front of my face but I didn't see them. I stared at the exact spot I knew that my hands were and concentrated hard, but still nothing showed up. Not a glimpse of skin.

I swallowed hard. I closed my eyes briefly and prepared myself for one last check at my seemingly nonexistent body. Then peeked down at where my legs were supposed to be. Nothing was there but red carpet and dust. What is happening? Am I spirit? Am I some sort of formless creature seen by no one? Even by my own self?

I looked up at the mirror again to verify my thought and once again saw only the other side of the wall. No, it was impossible that I had no body, I decided. Because though I couldn't see myself I could feel soft folds of cloth touching my invisible skin and flowing down to the carpeted floor. I could feel a slight weight against my shoulders and back which told me that I had long hair. I touched my face, everything was there. My nose, eyes, lips and ears were all in their right positions. I could feel my smooth cheeks under my soft fingertips. But I still saw nothing in the mirror.

"What happened to me?" I said out loud, it was strange to her my voice, it was as if it belonged to some one else. I had never heard it before. That was strange. Since it was my voice I should have heard it at least once before. But it was just….foreign.

Loud clapping and cheering from outside the house I was in interrupted my thoughts. I walked over to a small window beside the single bed and gazed out. It looked like a wedding was being held in the garden outside. The bespectacled groom was just leaning in to kiss the red-headed bride.

"Maybe I should be attending that wedding." I murmured, taking into consideration that I felt like I was wearing a long dress. I gripped the window sill tightly so I could lean out to see the wedding better but something else caught my eye.

My hands were opaque; my body was becoming visible again. I rushed back to the dresser and watched as my body slowly became solid. The long thing that I felt that I was wearing turned out to be a long and white gown. White lilies adorned my hair which was red and was tumbling down my back. The hairs on my arms stood on end as a starling revelation hit me.

_I look exactly like the bride being wed outside._

Then the minute after that unnerving realization a very pressing question came into my mind.

_Who am I?_

And as I racked my brains I concluded that I didn't know the answer. A cascade of other questions followed. Basic questions about myself ran through my head each so simple that I should know the answers to all of them, but I didn't.

_How old am I?_

_When is my birthday?_

_Where do I live?_

_Who are my parents?_

_What is my name?_

Downstairs the clapping and hooting ceased, to be replaced by silence and gasps. But I didn't go to the window to see what was happening anymore. I had all my curiosity busy on another subject. My identity.

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	5. Found out

Harry gazed into Ginny's eyes and smiled

_**PLEASE REVIEW!!**_

_**A/n: disclaimers on the first chapter.**_

Harry gazed into Ginny's eyes and smiled. For the first time in his life he felt content, safe. There were no people to be saved, no death eaters chasing him, no need to hide or be frightened. Now there was just a need to be happy, and right now that need was more than satisfied. He was finally married to the woman he loved, and there was nothing more that he could ask for.

Ginny's eyes are so beautiful, he thought. They were a shade of light brown. They were alert and wide and bright, filled with so much life. He gazed into them like he had never seen them before. But then something happened, unlike those many other times when he had lost himself in those brown eyes, those said eyes changed.

They darkened into a deep and solid black shade. But the eyes weren't the only ones that changed. Her skin whitened, her hair turned jet black and it lengthened. Some of her hair got free from the loose bun at the back of her head and receded back into her forehead stopping just above her eyes.

Harry took a step back, his eyes widening in alarm. He didn't know what was happening, nor did he want to believe that what was happening WAS happening. It was unfair. He was about to get what he wanted most in life: stability, love and family, and now it would all be taken away. Why? Because Ginny Weasley, the woman he loved so much and had just married really wasn't Ginny Weasley. She was Cho Chang, his ex-girlfriend. Of course if they hadn't broken up before and if things hadn't gone on as they had he would still love Cho, but what was important now is that he really doesn't feel that emotion now anymore.

"Cho?!" he blurted.

She looked up at him guiltily. Gasps and whispers resonated throughout the crowd. Harry felt empty for a few moments, his brain still unable to process what he had just seen. Suddenly it felt like a horrible beast woke up in his chest and it longed to tear and destroy. He grabbed Cho by her shoulders harshly. Harry couldn't hold his anger in him and it showed in his eyes. They blazed like an emerald green fire.

"Where's Ginny?!" he demanded forcefully. He felt panic rush through his veins. If Cho was here wearing Ginny's wedding dress, where was Ginny? Did Cho do something to her? Harry frowned in frustration. He didn't like the thought of something bad happening to Ginny and he quickly pushed the unnecessary thought out of his head. He knew Cho to be a good person, she wouldn't do anything bad to Ginny, he reasoned. But the response he received from Cho wasn't very encouraging. She hung her head and suddenly became very interested in his shoelace.

"Cho! Where's Ginny?" he repeated, louder this time.

He saw an unconscious Mrs. Weasley being fanned by George in the corner of his eye. But this was not the time to be concerned about Mrs. Weasley. It was the time to worry about her daughter.

Cho still didn't reply, she pushed out of Harry's grasp. Hermione and Ron ran over to them, their wands ready but both were unsure whether there really was a need to use them. It was only Cho after all.

"Where is she Cho?" Hermione whispered, stony-faced.

Cho looked towards them and she paled even more, but her eyes hardened.

"Don't worry about her, she's safe." She said quietly.

Harry glared at her and she cowered and looked away. Hermione and Ron exchanged glances and Ron shrugged.

"Tell me where she is, Cho." Harry said flatly.

"She's in the house, Harry…." Cho began saying.

Harry started moving toward the house with Hermione and Ron at his heels but Cho grabbed his sleeve.

"She's in the house and I'm not allowing you to see her."

Harry stared at her in disbelief. He wrung his sleeve for her to let go and she did. He turned to face her with a fierce expression.

"You have no right to stop me!" he growled in a low voice. He was trying to keep his voice low…calm, and so far, he was succeeding. But his self-restraint strained when Cho looked up at him and SMIRKED.

"I'm afraid I do have the right, Harry." She said, she raised her left hand to show him the wedding band he had slid on her ring finger just moments ago. "See, I'm your wife."

Harry looked at it and frowned. Yes, he had put the wedding ring on her finger …but that was because he thought she was Ginny. Ginny was the one he wanted to marry, not Cho.

"I thought you were Ginny." He stated with his teeth clenched.

That simple sentence was like a dagger into her heart, but she ignored the pain.

"That was what I wanted you to think." She said bluntly.

Harry couldn't hold himself back anymore, he had an urge to punch Cho. But he thought that was overreacting. Nothing has happened to Ginny; maybe they can still have the ceremony today. He couldn't possibly be legally married to Cho.

He spun around and stormed into the house. Harry guessed that maybe Ginny was still in her room. That was the only place where she liked to stay. He hurried up the stairs. He could hear Ron's angry shouts accompanied by Hermione's pleading downstairs. But that wasn't important. What was important was Ginny. She had no reason to not attend the ceremony. Cho probably made her fall asleep or something.

Harry released a breath he didn't know he had been holding when he saw Ginny's bedroom door. He rushed over to it and flung it open.

To his immense relief he found Ginny inside. She looked fine. She didn't seem hurt at all. In fact she was standing in front of the large mirror attached to her dresser with a calculating look on her face.

Harry almost chuckled. Ginny probably didn't feel the time pass as she made herself up for the wedding. A smile pushed true and all the tension he had evaporated.

It was at that moment that Ginny turned around to stare at him.

"Ginny." Harry greeted, whatever her reason was for being late he forgave her.

Ginny furrowed her burrow and gazed at him more.

"Do I know you?" she asked.

Harry's heart fell. He felt cold all over. All the tension which had evaporated earlier returned.

A/N: sorry for the late update! I had to go to the Campus Journalism thing for private schools so I couldn't write. Thanks for the reviews!


	6. A Chance

Harry gazed into Ginny's eyes and smiled

**St. Mungos **

Harry paced the hall restlessly with Ron looking on from his spot against the wall. The Healer had looked really worried when they had told her of Ginny's condition and had asked Ginny and Mrs. Weasley to go inside her office to conduct some test to see how much damage had been done. Harry quit his pacing and plopped down on one of the flimsy chairs which lined the shabby walls.

He was still wearing the dress robes that he and Ginny had chosen together just the week before. He remembered her smiling face when she had seen him wearing the robes and groaned. It's funny how so many things can change in just a short span of time. Just yesterday they were lying on the green grass surrounding the burrow and looking for shapes in the puffy clouds, now Ginny had forgotten about everything, even them.

"I thought all our problems were supposed to disappear when I killed Voldemort!" he grumbled.

Ron looked nervously at him. It was unwise to say the wrong thing when Harry was in a bad mood.

"It just seems to be our bad luck, mate."

_Bad luck_

The word struck Harry. Didn't Fleur tell him that he would have bad luck if he saw Ginny before the wedding? Harry was about to say what he had just realized to Ron when a blonde-haired man came ambling down the hallway toward them.

"Professor Lockhart?" Harry ended up saying instead.

Lockhart flashed his perfect grin at him and walked confidently over.

"You know me?" he asked in his proud voice.

Harry and Ron exchanged glances. The professor had hit himself with a strong memory spell when they were in second year with Ron's backfiring wand. It seemed that until now his memory had not yet returned.

"Yes. You were our teacher in Hogwarts." Ron told him.

Lockhart smile widened. Harry on the other hand, felt sadder, if that was even possible. It had been seven years since the Professors memory had been erased. Till now it hasn't returned. Does that mean that Ginny won't remember him for seven years too?

The door of the Healers office opened and Mrs. Weasley came out followed by the Healer and Ginny.

"Mr. Lockhart! What are you doing here?" the healer said.

Mrs. Weasley had turned bright red. Harry remembered that she had been a big fan of Lockhart before.

"I don't remember." Lockhart said simply.

"Go back; I need to talk to these people."

"Fine, I have nothing else to do here anyway." He said huffily and he walked away.

The healer turned to face Harry.

"Mr. Potter, I see you've seen what Ginny would be like if she had been hit by a powerful memory spell."

Harry's heart fell.

"But she wasn't hit by a powerful one. The spell cast on her is rather weak, but still powerful enough to keep her memories locked up in her head for a year or so."

Harry looked up, light rekindled in his green eyes. So there was still hope. Ginny wasn't going to end up like Lockhart. Harry was so happy he could dance.

Ginny gazed around her; she had been quiet the whole time they had been here; hadn't spoken a single word. She looked afraid, of everything. This wasn't the Ginny that Harry knew and it hurt him. But not he was determined. As long as there was a chance to bring back the old Ginny, he would do anything.

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**The Burrow, an hour later.**

"What do you mean I have to live with her?!" Harry yelled, enraged.

If Hermione had not been a Gryffindor she would have cowered at the tone in Harry's voice, but since she was, she stood her ground.

"Harry, you do want to marry Ginny when she gets her memory back right?"

"Of course I do!" Harry roared.

"Well you can't do that if you don't live with Cho until the anniversary of your wedding, which is this same day next year." Hermione said bossily.

"Care to explain why?"

"Because once you agree to the vows you have some ancient magic set on you. This magic keeps you Husband and wife unless you can call one place home for a whole year and together break the vows you made on your wedding anniversary. While you haven't done that, you cannot truly marry someone else."

"That's ridiculous!" Ron groaned in Harry's defense.

"Don't look at me as if it's my fault! I just researched about this so I can help!" Hermione said. "You and Cho are officially married. We can change that, but it'll take a year."

A year then, Harry thought, well, he can wait.

"Where is Cho anyway? Does she know this?" Ron asked.

"She was the first one to find out. She's packing her bags right now." Hermione replied.

That got Harry angry again.

"Where are we going to live?" Harry said in a strained voice. He tried not to vent out his anger on his friends; it wasn't their fault that the day he had been waiting for had turned into a nightmare he'd never dreamed off.

"Grimauld Place."

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A/N: Sorry it's pretty short. The first Harry and Cho scenes together next chapter!


	7. Grimauld Place

Harry gazed into Ginny's eyes and smiled

**Grimauld Place**

"Here," Harry grumbled, handing her a piece of paper with Dumbledore's slanted handwriting scrawled on it. Cho took it cautiously and Harry withdrew his hand quickly. She blushed and read the address on the paper.

_Number 12, Grimauld Place._

She saw something move out of the corner of her eye and looked up. She watched in astonishment as number 12 squeezed itself out of the tiny space between numbers 11 and 13. It looked old but it was undeniably clean.

Harry trudged forward dragging behind him his big trunk. Cho frowned. Harry hadn't spoken a word to her ever since he had gotten back from St. Mungos. She shrugged and followed Harry.

Harry opened the door and walked in leaving the door open for Cho to enter. Cho took that as a good sign; at least Harry was still acknowledging her presence.

Cho gasped once she had gotten inside. There were glittering orbs floating in the air, giving the room a romantic glow, colorful pieces of paper scattered the floor. Slow and relaxing music resonated throughout the rooms of the house from an ancient radio sitting in one corner. It was a wonderful sight, but there was one decoration which wrecked the entire scene for her.

There was a big banner in front of her, floating in the air. On it the words:

**"Welcome to your home, Mr. Harry Potter and Mrs. Ginny Potter! Enjoy your life together." **Were embossed.

Cho bit her lip to stop it from trembling. The place had been spruced up for Harry and Ginny's return as newly wed's, not Harry and Cho's. She flicked her eyes in Harry's direction. He took out his wand and summoned the big banner toward him. He took it gently and folded it with great care then he tucked it under his robes.

"Kreacher!" Harry called, still avoiding looking at Cho.

The house elf popped up. He was wearing a clean white towel around his slight frame.

"Master! You've arrived! Where is the Mistress?"

Cho stiffened. She assumed she wasn't the Mistress the house elf was referring to.

"She won't be coming." Harry said emotionlessly.

Kreacher peered at Harry worriedly. Harry hardened his expression, and Cho felt guilty. It was her fault Ginny wasn't coming after all.

"Kreacher, please, take all of this stuff away. And turn off that annoying music!" he growled gruffly.

Kreacher looked taken aback by how Harry acted. His eyes had widened even more, and that was a feat. He scurried quickly away, using his magic to make the confetti disappear. Cho watched him clean for a while. When she looked up again, Harry was already stalking up the stairs.

Cho closed her eyes. She hadn't expected her plan to work. She hadn't thought it would go this far. When it had come into her head it had just seemed like a brilliant idea. A plan she could execute, like one of those experiments at school which left no lasting effect. Like a charm to turn someone into a beaver for an hour or so. She hadn't really expected Ginny to really lose her memory. But it had sunk in now. She wasn't in school anymore. She was responsible for her actions. Not the teachers, not some textbook where she got the jinx.

The sweet melody ended. Cho opened her eyes to a room which was bare. The orbs were gone, not one of the colored papers remained on the floor. It was depressing.

Cho walked over to the red loveseat which contrasted with the dull colors off the walls and floors. She sunk into it and cried. It was her fault it had all turned out this way in the first place. If only she hadn't stayed quiet about what she felt when they were still in school then Harry wouldn't have fallen for Ginny in the first place. She wouldn't have had to wreck somebody's wedding just to steal the groom away. Tears fell down quickly; she had only cried this much when Cedric had died. Now it felt the same way. It felt like Harry had died. The way Harry had been acting like she wasn't even there. It hurt so much….so much.

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Ginny ran her fingers over the framed pictures of her. They were all moving and that was something which she was surprised her the first time she had seen them. But she had known when she had first woken up that there was magic. She had becoming invisible to thank for that.

She watched the miniature version of herself smile up at her. It was her, but at the same time it wasn't. Ginny couldn't remember anything about herself, about anything. She didn't know why her memory had been erased. Nobody had told her why. Not even that black-haired groom who had looked at her fondly many times before.

Ginny walked away from the pictures. She had been staring at them for hours, hoping beyond hope that somehow her memory would come back through them. But the healer had already said that it would take a year or so before it returned.

She felt someone else in the room and turned to see a tall and dark-skinned man standing by the door. "Who are you?" she said. Then she blushed, realizing that it was impolite to suddenly ask questions.

"I'm Dean, Dean Thomas."

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Cho wiped the tears away when she heard Harry stomping down the stairs again. Her eyes were red and puffy but Harry didn't even look at her so he didn't notice. He walked toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Cho asked abruptly before he could even reach for the door handle.

He turned to her and glared. He didn't even reply, he just opened the door and got out.

Cho took a deep breath and released it. So it was going to be like that. He was going to ignore her. Well she had made up her mind. She had a year didn't she? She was going to make the most of it. Harry was going to love her again whether he liked it or not.

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A/N: Fibinacci: thanks for all your reviews!!

Everyone: It's going to be pretty depressing for awhile. But things will change! Slowly but surely! What's Dean doing at the Burrow? Another ex chase?


	8. Dinner

"You cannot go inside Harry

**A/N:** Here's chapter 8, enjoy!

Sakura Lisel-I think his brains(Lockhart's)have been damaged too badly because I read a part in the book where it was said that he keeps slipping out of the room where he stays in at St Mungos and he always forgets the way back. So I made him stay there cause he became permanently forgetful.

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Cho untied her apron and studied the food she had carefully arranged on the table. She considered herself an exceptional cook and she had gone all out this time, preparing all her specialties. She had placed a large roasted duck in the middle of the table, steam still rising from the succulent meat. She had mixed up a bowl of mashed potatoes matched with gravy she had made herself. The treacle tarts she knew Harry had a weakness for sat waiting in the pantry.

Kreacher had offered his help to her at the point when she had accidentally cut herself while chopping the vegetables for the salad which had backfired. That was quite nice of the elf since Harry hadn't found the time to introduce her yet and Kreacher probably still had no idea who she was. She was forced to throw the forlorn vegetables afterward. She couldn't feed Harry vegetables which were splattered in blood after all.

She figured that she might just be overreacting. It was just going to be the two of them who was going to eat dinner anyway. The food she had prepared will be enough. Then hopefully after they ate she could try to regain his friendship again. Just friendship for now…then after that, maybe everything will just fall into place.

She took some lettuce with her unharmed hand and arranged it around the roast duck. It made a pleasing sight as a garnishing. Satisfied by her work, she sat down and waited for Harry to return from wherever he had went.

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Harry searched the entire house for Ginny. Only Mrs. Weasley was in the house and she had told him that Ginny was in her room but Harry didn't find her there. He didn't see anybody else in the house so he had no one to ask where she was.

He walked listlessly around the house, checking all the rooms where he hoped he would find her. He was rounding the corner heading to the sitting room when he heard raised voices in the room close to him. He recognized one of the voices as Ginny's, the other voice was familiar but he couldn't quite place where he had heard it before.

"I don't know! Step back!"

Harry felt sweat run down his face. He rushed over to the door and barged in the room. However, the pair already in the room took no notice of him. It was Dean and Ginny. Dean was advancing toward Ginny and he was pleading with her.

"Ginny," he was saying, "Don't you remember anything? Anything at all?"

Ginny looked at him in a mix of fear and confusion.

"No! I wish I did but I just don't." Ginny replied shrilly. Her back bumped against the wall and she grew more panicky as the strange man she had once known came closer. Harry was about to interfere when Dean suddenly stepped forward and swept Ginny in a fierce kiss. Ginny whimpered and tried to push him away but Dean was too strong and he pushed harder against her.

Harry acted on instinct and he jumped forward and he pushed Dean harshly away from Ginny, sending him sprawling on the floor. He stepped in between the two and he spread his arms wide to prevent Dean from coming any closer to Ginny.

Dean stood up and glared at Harry and Harry glared back with equal venom.

"Get out of this house, Dean." Harry said angrily.

Dean turned on his heel and stomped out of the room, an evil look in his eye. Harry turned around and looked into Ginny's eyes.

"Are you alright?" he asked her softly.

"Yes, thank you for that…Harry is your name isn't it?" Ginny murmured. She held her hands together in front of her and she exhibited a shyness Harry had only seen in his first stay at the burrow. There was a short silence wherein he just looked into Ginny's eyes, willing her to suddenly brighten up and tell him that it was all a joke that she and all the others had cooked up together, but she didn't.

"Yes, I'm Harry Potter." He said at last.

Ginny smiled up at him. Harry felt like he was going to melt but he decided he was definitely not the type to do that.

"Don't worry about that guy. I'll make sure that no one is going to harm you in any way." Harry said reassuringly.

Ginny blushed and looked down. An awkward silence followed and it was a great relief for Harry when Mrs. Weasley came into the room.

"There you are!" she exclaimed. "I just finished cooking Supper, would you like to eat here, Harry?"

"Sure, Mrs. Weasley! I'd love too; you're the best cook I've ever known."

Harry didn't bother to add the fact that she was the only one who had ever really cooked for him aside from Hagrid whose rock cakes aren't what you could consider delicious, and the house elves whom Harry had never really met.

"Then come on down dear. Ginny, follow us and I'll show you where your chair is."

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley. I mean…Mum." Ginny said.

They trooped downstairs. Harry was keeping a close eye on Ginny. He hoped Ginny hadn't seen the way Dean had glared at them before he left. Harry was sure Dean would be back. He wanted to be able to watch over Ginny day and night but that was impossible because he had to sleep at Grimauld Place now.

He would have to think about that later, he thought, as he watched Mrs. Weasley lay out plates on the table and take out a platter filled with steaming lamb chops. This would be delicious.

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Cho checked the antique grandfather clock in the hallway. Harry had already been gone for two hours.

"Where could he be?" she whispered to herself.

She went back in the kitchen and checked on the food. The duck had cooled and the lettuce was already turning brown. Cho sighed. She removed the lettuces and threw them in the bin. They didn't look so appetizing now. She took the duck and began heating it on the stove for the second time. The heat licked at the bandage on her finger and made it hurt more and she quickly pulled her hand away. Nursing her aching hand she sank in a nearby dining chair to wait for the duck to heat up enough again.

_Harry where are you?_

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Harry leaned back in his chair patting his full stomach. Mrs. Weasley smiled warmly at him.

"That was excellent Mrs. Weasley." Harry complimented.

"Care for some dessert?" Mrs. Weasley said as she offered Harry a plate full of chocolate brownies.

"Mrs. Weasley, I'm stuffed!" Harry protested.

Ginny took some brownies and began eating them. She had eaten a lot and spoken scarcely during the entire meal. Mrs. Weasley and Harry on the other hand, had tried to be as lively as possible in an attempt to get Ginny to speak more. But it didn't work. After all, what can a person who doesn't remember anything talk about?

Harry checked his wristwatch. It was already fifteen minutes past nine. He sighed; it was probably time to go back to his house. He pushed his chair from the table and he stood up hesitantly.

"Sorry, Mrs. Weasley, but I have to go now. Good bye, Ginny."

He leaned in to kiss Ginny on the cheek like he was used to but he caught himself just in time. He didn't want her thinking bad things of him. Instead he gave her a reassuring smile, and then he gave Mrs. Weasley a brief hug.

"Good luck with your…living in, Harry. Good Bye."

"Bye." Ginny said, still eating her brownie.

Rather regretfully, Harry walked out of the house and apparated back to Grimauld Place.

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Cho heard the creak of the door as it opened and she raised her head from her doze. She had waited for so long and she had eventually fallen asleep when she had decided to rest her head on her arms for a few minutes.

Harry walked in quietly, and Cho frowned. She looked at the grandfather clock again and saw that she had been waiting for him for about four hours. Harry saw her but he decided to ignore her and he continued walking toward the stairs.

"Harry." She called.

Harry stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"What?" he asked arrogantly.

"Where have you been?" Cho said, slightly raising her voice.

"That's none of your business." Harry said, and then he started walking away again.

"I cooked for you." Cho said almost tearfully.

Harry stopped walking; he stood at the foot of the stairs for a while. Silence came, ringing their ears. Then Harry broke the silence with a slightly shaky voice.

"Sorry, I already ate."

He didn't even look back, he just continued walking, up the stairs and around the corner, and then he was gone. Cho bit her lip; she didn't want to cry anymore, she had already shed too many tears today. She stood up and went in the dining room and she began keeping the food. She returned the empty plates in the shelves. She hadn't eaten yet but she wasn't even hungry anymore. She took the duck and the gravy and put it in the fridge.

All her effort was wasted. So much had happened today; too much in fact. She brushed the upcoming tears away with her bandaged hand.


	9. Friends

"You cannot go inside Harry

A/N: who can be my Beta? Please, I need one.

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Harry plopped down on the bed. He was in Sirius' bed room; it was the one most familiar to him. The bed had been changed into a double bed since he and Ginny had planned on staying there together after they got married. He guessed it wasn't going to happen now. He felt immeasurably guilty by what had happened downstairs just a few moments ago. How was he supposed to know that she was going to cook for him? He was confused too.

The moment he had opened the door and seen her with her head bowed in her arms he had felt…tingly. He really didn't know how to describe it; he could only say that it was weird. Then she had raised her head and looked at him and he had seen the features in her that he had admired before. Everything was still the same, except for her eyes. They had a sorrowful look about them. They were deep and they made her look like she had gone through all the pain that existed in the world.

God, that made him feel awful. Though there was some part in himself that scolded him for feeling that way. She was the reason for his suffering right now, for Ginny's memory loss. Why should he suddenly feel sorry for her? Shouldn't SHE be the one who feels sorry?

Harry fell backwards on the bed and sighed. Maybe he should just get some sleep, then maybe when he wakes up tomorrow he'll find out that it was all just a bad dream.

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It was morning and Harry had woken up earlier then he was used too. He shuffled down the stairs and headed straight for the kitchen. The thought of just calling Kreacher to bring him breakfast hadn't even crossed his mind yet. His brain was probably still in cloud 9.

He stifled a yawn as he opened the pantry, he hadn't put anything there yet and he hadn't really expected to see anything so he began to close it again, that's when he saw what was inside.

_Treacle Tarts?_

He reached his hand in and withdrew a large platter piled to the top with his favorite treat. They looked delicious.

He walked over to the table and he carefully laid the platter on it. He stared at them. He was unwilling to take one though his stomach was grumbling. That was because he knew where they came from.

He was certain Cho was the one who made them. Who else could have baked them? The guilt that he had felt last night enveloped him again. She had taken the time to bake his favorite dish, she knew Treacle tart was his crave.

It was foolish to be touched by such a small thing, he knew that. He clenched his fist. He heard his stomach growl. He shook his head and grabbed the treacle tart on top. He was making to big a deal of the tarts. He decided to just thank Cho for them later. One after another treacle tarts disappeared from the platter.

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Cho woke up to an empty house. Harry didn't even leave a note. She sighed and she walked in the kitchen to get breakfast. To her surprise she found an empty platter on the table. Cho recognized it as the plate where she had placed her treacle tarts. Cho smiled to herself. Every single tart was gone. Harry probably ate them all. Cho never knew Harry could eat so much, considering his slim frame. She took the plate and washed it, replacing it on cupboard.

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It went on for a week. Cho always woke up to an empty house, she would spend the whole day alone and Harry always arrived when the moon was well up in the sky. It was too much. When Cho had gotten the courage to confront him once ,all the answer she got was Harry telling her that just because they had to call one place home that doesn't mean tat he had too spend the whole day with her.

It was infuriating. He was acting childish, in Cho's opinion. This morning she woke up early enough to catch him as he prepared to leave.

"Where are you going?" she demanded crossly.

"To the burrow." He replied simply, as he fixed his cloak.

"You aren't going to the burrow." Cho crossed her arms.

"Says who?"

"I do." She said stiffly.

"Why not?"

"Because you're being too unreasonable! You don't have to always avoid me! I already told you that I never expected it to really happen!" Cho said in painful memory of the night when she had apologized, she had cried even, but Harry didn't say a word.

"Ginny doesn't remember a thing and it's all because of you!" Harry yelled.

Cho took it as a good sign; She finally a got a reaction from him. It was way better then him just ignoring every word she said.

"I'll make it up to you."

"How?!" Harry demanded , the fire in his green eyes coming alive.

"I'll help bring Ginny's memory back. I'll try my best. Please, I can help. I'm smart, I'm a Ravenclaw." She pleaded with him, not really paying attention to the words she was saying. Anything to placate him. The words streamed out uncontrollably, bribes, promises all words of that she would never had said if she weren't so desperate.

It looked as if it was working. Harry's eyes had softened.

"You'll help bring Ginny back?" He asked, stiffly.

"Yes, Yes! I will."

"What'll you take in exchange?!" Harry asked suspiciously.

"Lets…lets just be friends again." Cho said, offering him her hand in a friendly handshake.

Harry eyed her hand, then rather grudgingly he took it. He shook it briefly, unable to look into her eyes.

"Fine, friends." He muttered.

Cho beamed at him. Finally, progress.

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A/N: I won't be able to update for two weeks or so! Sorry everyone! I've got a hectic schedule for October. I'll be representing my school in a writing competition which involves all the schools in my province so please wish me lock! (I'm so nervous!)


	10. Offer of Help

Harry eyed Cho over the rim of the cup he was drinking from. He had brought her, rather regretfully, to the burrow to test out the deal they had made earlier. Mrs. Weasley, who had been waiting by the front door with her ready smile and cheerful greeting as always, became stone still at the sight of Cho. Thankfully, she had stayed silent and had allowed them to go inside. Harry couldn't blame her for feeling resentful to Cho, he still was too. But he was desperate to bring Ginny's memory back-that was the main reason why he had accepted Cho's offer of friendship in exchange for help on bringing Ginny's memory back. He was willing to grab any opportunity available. Cho was a Ravenclaw; they would need the knowledge that Ravenclaws are supposed to have. She could be an alternate source of information aside from Hermione. It was always best to have a plan B.

Surprisingly, Cho and Ginny got along well. In fact, Cho was actually the first one Ginny had her real first conversation with_**-**_talking with each other for hours. They were nothing alike. Cho was quiet, shy and very emotional. Ginny on the other hand, was outspoken, talkative and had a quick temper once you got her out of her shell. Seeing them hunched together over the album that Harry had found, as they whispered and giggled over the moving pictures, was proof that opposites actually do attract.

"Hey, isn't this Harry?"

Ginny was pointing at the album and Cho's grin had widened, too wide to be a real smile. Harry walked over and leaned in. The picture showed Ginny, Ron and Harry. The Harry in the picture was beaming happily up at them, one of his arms wrapped around Ginny's waist; while Ginny was looking up at him with an unmistakable expression of love. Ron was lurking unhappily at the left side of the photograph, scowling at the happy couple.

"We look so close…weren't we?" Ginny remarked.

Harry nodded. He had brought the album out in hope that once Ginny saw the pictures she would remember. It looked like it wasn't going to be as simple as that.

"That was taken when we went on a trip to the Alps in Switzerland." Harry explained.

"Switzerland? Why did we go there?" Ginny asked.

"It was summer. Too hot here, we had spare money so we had our summer vacation there."

_It was also where I proposed to you. _Harry thought, but he didn't say it out loud.

"Charming…" Cho said dryly. "I'm going to get some drinks." She walked out of the room. Harry looked after her and shrugged. He realized with a jolt that Ginny was looking up at him. Ginny smiled.

"You're her husband right?"

"No…I mean...yes…I-I-I mean…" Harry stuttered, unsure what to say.

Ginny was still looking warmly up at him.

"You look good together." She said.

Now Harry was really shocked. He stared at her wide eyed.

"What?!" he grabbed her by the shoulders, making her giggle.

"Oh please, Ginny! Take that back!"

"Relax, Harry! I was just kidding!" Ginny said; her smile mischievous. She doubled over and held her sides as she laughed her hardest. Harry smiled weakly at her. At least she had returned to her mischievous self…but what was that rubbish about them looking good together?

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Cho sighed as she filled the cups with pumpkin juice manually. Getting along with Ginny was easy; they would have become really close friends before if they hadn't had the same feelings for Harry. But looking through the pictures of them happy together was harder.

"So Chang, still hanging around are you."

Cho nearly dropped the pitcher in surprise. She turned around to see Dean coming in from the kitchen door.

"Yeah. So what?"

Dean sneered and grabbed one of the cups without asking permission. He gulped the juice down.

"Well," He said as he placed the empty cup back on the table. "I never thought you could be so desperate."

Cho narrowed her eyes at him.

"I'm not." She said coolly.

He leaned into her, intimidating her with his large size. He sneered tauntingly.

"You are." He stated. "It's not a nice sight, you know."

Cho filled the cup again. Avoiding Dean's eyes. It hurt, but what he was telling her was true. She WAS desperate.

"So, what are you trying to say?"

"I could help you."

She looked quickly up at him, he was smiling. But not in the friendly kind of way. He looked mad. Mad Mad.

"I don't need your help." She said, lifting the tray with the drinks in her arms. She turned away from him. It was tempting but she didn't want to cause Harry anymore pain than she already had.

"It looks like you do." Dean called after her.

"I already made a mess enough. I don't want to add anymore to it." Cho replied stiffly. She walked up the stairs leaving Dean standing in the kitchen. She didn't like what Dean was planning. Whatever it was. She should probably warn Harry, but she decided not to. He had plenty to worry about at the moment. Anyway…Dean couldn't be serious. Could he?

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	11. The attack

A/N: I am so sorry! I know I told you guys that I would update in about two weeks but I never expected it to reach 2 months! I really am sorry. I have tons of excuses including writing contests trips to mountainous regions and browser problems but I wouldn't bother you with that now. I prepared a longer than usual chappie to try to make it up to you guys. I hope you like it. (This author's note should have been on chap. 10 but I forgot.)

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"What do you think; Red or purple?"

Harry could barely stifle a groan. As soon as they had gotten home from the Burrow, Cho had insisted on them shopping for Ginny; just some stuff that might help with her memory. Cho had insisted that most of the stuff they got were really needed but they looked awfully ordinary to Harry. Now he was stuck, how was he supposed to know which one was better?

"Just get both." He said offhandedly.

"It has to be her favorite color. Otherwise it won't help at all. You know that." Cho insisted. She lifted the purple and red lockets again and shook them in front of Harry's face, "Which one?"

Harry thought for a moment. He and Ginny had never talked about colors before. Usually it was about the war or Fred or how much they loved each other or other random things that popped up in their head. He regretted not having gotten to know her more. What kind of a man was he, not even knowing his almost-wife's favorite color?

Red or Purple? Well, Ginny often wore red, and her hair was red as well. He hoped that red was her favorite color. If these lockets or whatever they were called couldn't help Ginny regain her memory just because Harry didn't know her favorite color, well, the blame would all be on him. Along with tons of guilt.

"Fine, take the red one." Harry grumbled; grabbing the red unknown locket and stuffing it inside the empty pensieve they had picked up only moments ago. Cho carefully hung the other locket back on the pin sticking from the wall and turned to face Harry with a satisfied smile.

"Done?" he asked hopefully.

"Well…" Cho said slowly as if she enjoyed keeping him in suspense. She gave all the items in their basket a swift look before nodding in his direction. "Yeah, I guess that's about it."

" Great." He said, levitating the basket and walking swiftly toward the counter. Cho followed him closely. Once they were out of the shop, she turned to Harry with transparent enthusiasm on her face. Harry almost flinched, thinking that she had another item in mind to shop for.

"Want to eat lunch now?" she asked thoughtfully.

Harry eyed her warily, briefly recalling their disastrous first date. "We wouldn't be going to Madam Pudifoot's now, would we?"

Cho burst out laughing. It was the first time she had really laughed in his presence. It really made a difference, erasing her usual sober expression.

"Of course not, Harry! We'll just eat at the Leaky cauldron, nowhere too glamorous. The food there is better than you can imagine."

Harry sighed in relief, banishing all thoughts of floating cupids and showers of multicolored hearts from his head. Cho cast him a wistful glance before resuming her jovial attitude yet Harry didn't notice; he was busy shrinking their purchases and tucking them in his pockets.

They walked silently toward down Diagon alley with Cho giving him furtive looks every now and then. People were going in groups around them, gossiping. They tried to ignore the whispers as much as possible, but at times it was very hard.

"Yes, Cho Chang, I heard-"

"Cheating plots-"

"-just an excuse!"

" Sneaky Git-"

They only got snips of what the crowds were talking about but what they heard were enough to fill an awkward silence between them. Cho was filled with anxiety and guilt. Harry on the other hand felt anger and resentment, though he didn't who he should feel it more for at the moment; the crowd or Cho? Who deserved his rage more?

Once they finally reached the sheltered and unusually empty Leaky Cauldron they both released a breath they had been holding in. They walked over to Tom, the caretaker, to take an order. He was surveying them curiously. He had probably heard some of the rumors that were circulating.

"Mr. Potter, pleasure to see you again!" Tom greeted, his eyes hovered over to Cho. Harry realized his dilemma right away; the caretaker didn't know whether to call Cho, a Chang or-flinch-a Potter. Harry didn't know how to solve the problem himself, calling her Cho Chang might hurt her, Cho Potter….well he wasn't comfortable with that, so he just ignored it.

"You too Tom, you can just call me Harry." Harry replied with a smile.

The caretaker smiled his signature toothless grin. He grabbed a goblet and a towel and promptly began polishing it. Harry took that as a signal to order. "Will you be ordering?" he asked, training his eyes on the glass.

"Yes, I'll take your Spare ribs with extra gravy. What about you Cho?" He turned his head to face her. Cho was frowning at Tom; her head was tilted to the left as if she was thinking about something.

"Cho," Harry called, "Hey, Earth to Cho."

Cho snapped alert and looked abashed. "Sorry," she apologized, "I just-." She shook her head and answered Harry instead. "I'll get what you ordered too."

" Perfect ma'am, I'll bring them over to your table, feel free to sit wherever you want." Tom said while shuffling toward the back room. Harry picked his way around tables before finally dumping all the purchases he hadn't shrunk on a family-sized, round table pressed against the brick wall. Cho flitted behind him frantically. He sat down and Cho slumped on the chair beside him.

"Is something wrong? You don't usually just space out like that-" Harry began before Cho cut in.

" He doesn't act like himself." Harry gave her a questioning look and she explained. "Tom, I mean. He's like a father to me. I spent most of my summers here…and he just grew on me and we're really close." Her gaze flicked to the door through which Tom had just left through. "But today he acted like he didn't even know me. It's like I did something wrong that he doesn't want to be connected with me in any way anymore."

Harry understood perfectly well what she was talking about. Tom might have learned about what Cho had done and was probably ashamed of her at the moment. Harry, however, didn't know a thing about Girls' emotions and absolutely had no idea what to do. He could only watch as she bit her lip and clasped her hands together until her knuckles turned white.

They stayed silent for a while. Harry, in his boredom, began counting the number of chairs in the room. He was on number twenty-four before he realized that something was off. No one was in the bar, not a single soul. They must've been here for at least six minutes and no one had even gone in. Most of the time this place was filled, why was it empty now?

"Cho…" Harry said, another realization coming to him, he didn't like it one bit. "Did you just say that Tom was acting weird a while ago?"

Cho was startled by this random question; she had been gazing thoughtfully out the window. "Yeah, why?"

" I just noticed that he's been taking a really long time preparing our meal. We're the only customers. He should be back by now, right?" Harry said slowly, he was right, he knew it, but he dreaded it all the same.

Cho's eyes flashed fear and concern, "You don't think-"

**BANG!  
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Harry dived from his chair and landed on top of Cho. Dust rose in spirals around them as the curse that was meant to hit her shot harmlessly over their heads. He scrambled off her in a flash and quickly drew out his wand. He was vaguely aware that Cho had stood up and had drawn her wand as well. Before him stood Tom, his eyes mad; flanking him on either side were Dolohov and Macnair.

"Well, well, Potter, nice of you to give us a little visit. You saved us a lot of time looking." Dolohov drawled with a sneer. He leveled his wand to Harry's heart.

Macnair copied Dolohov, "We would love to see you die, Potter. Especially after you killed the Dark Lord. Our power is lost. I would love to personally torture you for our downfall." He taunted with vehemence.

Cho tensed beside him as Tom took two steps forward and pointed his wand directly at her. "First your wife. You'll see her die and you won't be able to do a single thing." He was whispering.

Cho's eyes widened in fear and disbelief while Harry felt his breath hitch in his throat.

"You wouldn't do that Uncle Tom, you wouldn't." she pleaded.

"I don't know you." He said coldly. His wand still pointed at her. Harry could see that Tom's remark had hurt her and her eyes were beginning to well up with tears.

"Crap! I thought she was smart! She shouldn't be falling for these Death Eaters dirty tricks!" Harry thought. All the while knowing that Cho had always been too emotional for her own good. But he had no time to save Cho from her emotional stress. Analyzing the situation as quickly as he could, Harry could only see apparating to be the easiest way to escape the place but he realized that if the Death Eaters were using Tom's identity or Tom himself, he just couldn't leave like that. He had to find a way to save him. Curse his hero complex but that's just what he has to do.

"Crucio!" Tom yelled, but Harry had already cast a shield charm and the torture curse bounced against the shield and Macnair had to dive out of the way as it rocketed toward him.

Cho hid behind Harry. He knew that she had never actually fought in a battle before; he had to protect her as well as Tom. But how could he not hurt Tom, the way he was attacking them now?

"Incendio! Incarcerous! Crucio! Sectumsempra!" Dolohov screeched, waving his wand around, each of his spells were either absorbed by Harry's shield or were bounced back in their direction. It was mostly a one-sided fight, with the Death Eaters sending curses in Harry's direction and dodging them when they were sent back. Harry just stood there with his wand held high, sweat beads forming on his forehead as he tried his best to keep the shield erect.

"Cho…" he murmured under his breath. Cho perked up behind him and moved closer to hear him.

"What?" she whispered back, her voice barely audible through the racket the former Death Eaters were making.

"You know the coins we used in D.A.?" Harry asked, his voice getting ragged as the power of the spells hitting his shield grew more powerful. The strength needed to keep the shield up was draining him.

Cho nodded quickly, her lips pressed tightly together.

"I have one in my coat pocket, call for help, you know how. I don't know how long I can keep this shield up."

Cho dug her hand in his pocket and Harry almost shivered. Her hand was so cold he could feel it through the fabric of his shirt. He kept his eyes on the mad Death Eaters, if his shield were to fail now he would have to be ready. She retrieved her hand, clutching a gleaming Gold galleon and turned to hide behind Harry as she manipulated the numbers.

"It's done." Harry heard her whisper. He had done what he could to call back up. Now he could only hope that some of the old D.A. members had somehow always kept their galleons with them. The chances were small though.

"What do we do now?" Cho asked, not caring to hide the tremble in her voice. She fumbled with his coat and dropped the coin back in the pocket where she found it.

"When the shield fails, we fight." Harry replied firmly.

"Incarcerous! Stupefy!" Tom yelled. The red light of the stunning spell passed cleanly through the shield, barely missing Cho. The shield flickered but it remained, slightly weaker than in was before.

"Brace yourself." Harry muttered. Behind the shield, the Death Eaters began flitting along its edges, fire dancing in their eyes once again. The shield had allowed a stunning spell in. What else will it let in?

Cho bunched her hands in Harry's robes and he could feel that her hands were shaking. "We're going to be alright." He assured her. At that moment a cutting hex slipped through the shield and shot in their direction.

Harry jumped out of the way, sending Cho flying along with him. Her fists holding on to Harry as if he was a safe spot in a game of tag. The shield flickered once again, and this time it didn't reappear.

"Oh shit." Harry managed to say before the Death Eaters were upon them and he was up again, flinging curses at them. Tom was coming quickly at him and he felt a sense of dread. What should he use against him? Nothing too bad because it might be the real Tom's body but enough to incapacitate him.

"Stupefy!" he yelled. Tom dodged the spell and sent his own curse to Harry. Harry dodged out of the way but he heard a faint squeak from behind him. And his head snapped back to see where it came from. He immediately groaned. Tom's stunning spell had hit Cho instead. Harry hadn't realized that she was still behind him. She slumped against the table. Her hair spilling in all directions.

"Well," Harry thought, "At least it isn't an unforgivable." Then he was back in the battle. One against three, it was unfair. He tumbled out of the way of a blasting curse. From under a table, Harry carefully aimed his wand at Dolohov and yelled, "Tarantallegra!" The spell was true to its mark and Dolohov instantly began tap dancing against his will. His wand fell out of his hand as his legs jostled him this way and that.

Macnair turned in the direction from where the jinx had come from and spotted him under the table. He immediately cast a cutting curse at him. Harry tried to roll away from under the table but just as he though he was out of range he gasped in surprise as the curse slashed him on his left shoulder. It was a fairly big cut, about to inches and not at all shallow, and it hurt a lot. Harry jumped to his feet and shot a stunning curse at Macnair. Macnair sidestepped the curse but Harry followed it up with another and it hit Macnair squarely on the chest. Causing him to fall on the wooden floor with a loud thump.

Meanwhile, Tom had used the counter-curse on Dolohov's tap dancing legs and Dolohov lunged at Harry, his wand lay forgotten under a far away two-seater table. He landed on top of Harry and Harry's wand tumbled out of his grasp. Tom was just leaning over to grab his wand when a stunning curse hit him from behind and he fell over beside Harry.

"That was interesting." Harry heard a dreamy voice say just out of his line of sight. He immediately knew who it was. He would know that voice anywhere. It was Luna Lovegood.

Dolohov didn't realize that both of his both of his companions were down. He laughed wildly and he raised one of his fists. "Now Potter, you will pay." He growled.

"Harry what are you doing on the floor?" Luna asked, true wonder in her voice.

That was when Dolohov punched Harry on his jaw. Harry gritted his teeth in response to the pain and a different voice from Luna's shot body-binding curse at Dolohov before he could punch Harry some more. He fell stiff as a board on top of Harry.

"Thanks." Harry grunted, pushing Dolohov off him with no gentleness. The part of his jaw where Dolohov had punched him felt like it was going to swell. He shot a look around the room to make sure that all the attackers were down. Aside from the fact that Dolohov's mouth was lolling open, nothing seemed out of place.

"What happened here Harry?" Ron asked while handing Harry back his wand. Luna ran, or floated that seems to fit what she did better, over to Cho and levitated her.

"Tom, something's wrong with Tom. It's either he's a Death Eater using Polyjuice potion, he's under the Imperius curse or it's really him. I hope it's not the last one." Harry explained while clutching his bleeding shoulder.

Ron went over to Tom and lifted one of his eyelids. "He's out. We've got to take these thugs to the ministry. I'm sure they can figure out if it's really him or not."

"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked.

Ron bowed his head a little but he couldn't hide the way his ears turned pink. "She's over at ferret's house. She left her coin." He replied in a neutral tone. Harry frowned. He had forgotten that Ron didn't like talking about Hermione anymore, especially after…

"Where do I take her Harry?" Luna interrupted his thoughts. She was standing right next to him and he hadn't even noticed her approach. Cho was floating eerily behind her.

"I'll take care of her. You go with Ron." Harry said gruffly, he lifted his wand and levitated Cho himself. He grabbed the paper bags from their table and turned to face them again.

"I'm sorry about the trouble," Harry said, Ron opened his mouth, perhaps to argue that it wasn't a problem but Harry didn't let him continue. "Just please take them to the Ministry, I'll just bring Cho to Grimauld Place and I'll get back to you when she wakes up."

"If that's what you want Harry." Luna replied, her face rather vague.

"Thanks." Harry smiled.

As his friends rounded up the Death Eaters and tied them up Harry disapparated out of the Leaky cauldron with a parting wave.

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Cho felt raw. It was like she had been dunked in salt and wrung out of a cheese grater. Every part of her body ached and she didn't know if she could move. She couldn't remember what left her in this state. Hmmm, she remembered buying a pensieve with Harry. They had also bought glass vials to contain memories. But what happened after that?

"You awake?" Harry's voice asked behind her closed eyelids.

Then she remembered the encounter at Leaky cauldron, the way Tom had taunted her, the fight that broke out and the spell that had hit her. Her eyes snapped open and the light immediately pierced her eyes in their severe brightness but she ignored it. She searched for the black-headed man she loved.

"Are you alright?" she asked in a croaky voice once she had spotted him.

"Am I alright?" Harry scoffed. "Are YOU alright? That's the right question. How do you feel?" he asked the last part with a hint of concern.

"I feel…" Cho paused, thinking about what her body felt for a moment and how she could describe it. "-very prickly." She finished.

"You shouldn't strain yourself. We don't know what hit you. But it kept you out for an entire day!" Harry said as he took a moist towel and draped it on my forehead. Cho studied his face and was happy to see that he didn't seem harmed. But there was a bandage on his shoulder. Then, she realized that Harry was naked from the waist up. Someone had just bandaged him and he had yet to put his shirt back on. She ogled at his defined musculature for a few moments before…

"Now that is a regular day in a Potters life." Harry continued in a scolding voice, thoroughly causing her to avert her gaze from his abs to his frowning face. "Now if you can't even protect yourself you shouldn't be one." Cho opened her mouth to protest but Harry shushed her. "All I'm saying is: you've got to learn some defence! Ginny and I could have taken those three down without breaking a sweat. You should've seen her Bat-bogey hex its brilliant! I can promise you there's going to be more fights like that in the future while some Death Eaters are still on the rampage, and I'm going to be their primary target. You can't cower behind me all the time. The next battle we get into you might end up worse than this. I can't have that on my conscience."

Cho didn't know if she wanted to cry or smile. On one note, Harry had said that Ginny was loads better than her, on the other: Harry was obviously worried about her.

"I know defence!" Cho said in defence of herself. "You taught me in D.A.!"

"Well then, use what I taught you!" Harry retorted. His jaw tightened and Cho noticed the purplish bruise on it. But she didn't have time to comment as Harry had spoken again.

"I-I can't…I have to go." Harry said. He stood up swiftly and left the room. Leaving Cho with a storm of thoughts in her head and a muddle of emotions in her heart.

"What does he really want?" Cho wondered loudly to herself.

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A/N: There! Whoa! It went over the 3000 word mark. This chapter is sort of a filler; just showing how they got along and that Death Eaters are still out and about. Again, I'm sorry for the delay! Million times sorry. Hope you review.


	12. Pictures

A/N: Happy new year everyone!

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A week after the attack and Cho was now fully recovered. The bruise on Harry's jaw had changed colour from onion purple to dirt brown. Aside from the few injuries that Harry had obtained, there was no other sign that there had even been a confrontation with desperate Death Eaters at all.

Today Cho and Harry were at the Burrow. They visited the place every other day, on account to Cho's request that they won't visit everyday. Harry had agreed, but instead of spending more time with Cho like she had hoped he would with all the free time they had. He buried his nose in researching with more dedication than he had ever possessed for any school project.

However, when they were at the burrow, Harry extricated his nose from whatever book he was memorizing and became his normal book-hating self again. But that was only at the burrow.

At the moment, Cho and Harry were once again showing Ginny pictures that they had collected of her when she was younger; pictures of her when she was a baby, when she had first donned her Hogwarts robes, with her and Harry on their first date, her with her group of friends. So far, she had remembered none of the old times.

"And this was when you went to Egypt…"Harry was explaining to Ginny while Cho looked on, "Do you recognize anyone in this picture?" he asked, showing her the newspaper cut-off.

Ginny took the photo from him and looked intensely at the photo. Her eyebrows came together and she puckered her lips in a small pout. "No," she said, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, I really am, but I don't recognize any of these people…apart from myself."

She looked up at Harry with her soft brown eyes and returned the photo with shaky hands.

She saw that Harry was looking disappointedly at her and she felt guilty right away. She bowed her head and clasped her hands together. It wasn't her fault that she couldn't remember anything, she knew that, but she couldn't help blaming herself. If she could only remember one thing, just one small detail, then maybe she might see the dark-haired man called Harry smile for once, a real smile, one of genuine of happiness. That would be a refreshing change from his constant blank expression.

"Don't lose hope Ginny. You're going to remember again someday." Harry reassured her. It was then that she noticed that she had been crying. Teardrops were sliding down her cheeks and some had already dropped down on the pictures propped on her lap. "I'll make sure of that." Harry whispered in such a small voice that made Ginny wonder whether he was speaking to her or to himself. His determination was contagious. Ginny wiped her tears away with her hand and reached for the next picture.

"Let me see the next one." She murmured fiercely.

Cho handed her a random one from the pile of pictures they had collected quickly. Ginny ignored her wary eyes and glared down at the picture. At the sight before her, her eyes softened.

"It's us." She murmured in wonder.

On the picture she held in her trembling hands stood Harry wearing the smile she had been thinking about just moments ago. His eyes sparkled like a green emeralds and he looked remarkably happy. Ginny saw herself standing by him by him, wearing a smile of happiness identical to his, her hair was slightly shorter than it was now. Both of them held ice cream cones which they licked every now and then. As she watched the preserved version of their younger selves, picture-Ginny shoved her strawberry flavoured ice cream straight into picture-Harry's laughing face. They shook in muted laughter as picture-Harry chased picture-Ginny out of the frame and back with his own ice cream held aloft as if he wanted to shove it in her face as well.

"We look so happy." Ginny lamented.

"Yes." Was all Harry said, he leaned into her and gazed into her eyes as he had done again and again after every picture that he had shown to her. "Do you remember anything?"

When she didn't answer he pulled the photo gently from her grasp and looked into it wistfully. "This was just last year," He said. "-The year that we went back to Hogwarts and we were both seventh years. This was taken on our first Hogsmeade trip. We got the ice creams from Fortescue; he came back after the war you know. Turns out the he got into a bad spot with the Death Eaters and he just had to hide out for a while."

Harry chuckled, as he watched his picture-self catch up with picture-Ginny and stuff his ice cream in her face, but it was the sad kind of chuckle, the watery kind. Ginny looked at him and noticed that his green eyes were unfocused; like he was seeing more than what the picture showed. Ginny knew that maybe he was relieving that particular day that they spent together, when she still remembered…

"I'm sorry, I-I have to get something to drink." She stuttered, standing up quickly, sending all the pictures on her lap to the floor. "Oh, I'm sorry!" She murmured as she knelt down to pick up the photographs. Harry kneeled down beside her and he helped gather the scattered pictures. Ginny reached for the last picture which lay on its back a foot away from her the same time Harry had and they ended up with Harry's warm hand gently covering her own as her palm was pressed against the cold photo paper.

Ginny gasped as something which felt inexplicably like electricity shot from Harry's hand and up her arm. She pulled her hand away and sprang up. "Sorry." She squeaked one more time before running out of the room while wringing her hands; trying her best to rid herself of the weird, prickly yet pleasant feeling.

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Harry gazed emptily at his empty hand which had sheltered Ginny's just moments ago. He didn't move. He jut knelt there, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Sure, he had managed to hold her hand once again, but hadn't she just run out of the room just moments ago?

He swallowed and shook his head. He pushed his feeling to the side and instead placed the tips of his fingers on the edges of the picture and flipped it over. His break hitched as he observed the real as life picture.

It was Him and Ginny again. In this picture he was kneeling in front of her, a small red box in his hands. Ginny had clapped her glove-covered hands over mouth; around them snow flakes swirled and the silhouette of the Alps formed a breathtaking view behind them. It was Switzerland. It was the picture that Harry made Ron take while he was proposing to Ginny, and it was barely a year ago.

"Harry, Tom was just-" Ron burst into the room with a large smile on his face which was immediately wiped off when he saw Harry kneeling on the floor cradling a picture in his hands.

"What happened to Uncle Tom?" Cho asked quickly.

"He was under the Imperius. Dolohov confessed and removed it himself. Tom's back to business." Ron said slowly, his eyes still trained on the back of Harry's neck.

"That's great!" Cho shrieked, standing up quickly. "I'm going to visit him now." She said before hurrying out of the room.

"Mate…you ok?" Ron asked Harry, who still hadn't moved from his spot.

"Y-yeah." Harry muttered, tucking the picture of his proposal to Ginny in his pant pocket before piling all the other pictures on the side table. He turned to face Ron and grimaced. "Just remembered some…stuff."

"Come on, Mums getting worried about you." Ron said, getting hold on one of Harry's shoulders. Harry allowed himself to be lead out of the room by Ron who was babbling about all kinds of things. Harry wasn't paying attention to him, he was too busy thinking.

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Ginny watched her reflection in the glassy surface of the lake. She tried to recognize something about the girl she saw. She now knew the tiny quirk or the girl's mouth and the way she would crinkle her nose when she was irritated. But aside from those tiny mannerisms she couldn't see anything familiar about the person.

"Who are you?" she whispered to the reflection.

A teardrop fell down from her eyes straight down to the reflection, causing it to dissolve and ripple. Ginny leaned back to the edge of the lake and wiped her tears away with one hand.

"Don't cry." She heard a deep voice say behind her. She turned quickly to find the strange man who had visited her standing just a few feet away from her. She tried to remember his name.

"Dean?" she asked fearfully. She remembered how the man had kissed her the last time he visited.

"Don't be afraid, I won't harm you." Dean said. Stepping toward her. Ginny scrambled away from him. Unfortunately, she forgot that she was sitting at the edge of the lake and fell straight in it with a great splash. She sank deeper and deeper into the lake. All the while wondering if she knew how to swim or not.

Through the clear waters she could see Dean jumping in after her. But she didn't pay attention to what he was doing. She allowed herself to be dragged to the bottom of the lake. Watching her own air bubbles float to the surface.

_If I drown will I remember anything?_

Dean was reaching for her. His hair gloating eerily around his head like snakes. He was mouthing words she could not hear. Her own auburn red hair floated in front of her, obscuring her view. A burning sensation began at the base of her throat and her air supply was all used up. She had to breath.

Then everything turned black.

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"Has anyone seen Ginny?" Mrs. Weasley asked while entering the dining room. All the Weasleys were gathered around the table with the exception of two. Mrs. Weasley, who was standing next to the door; and Ginny who no one had seen in hours, Harry looked up, concerned.

"She told us that she was just going to get a drink earlier." He said, his brows knitting together.

"When exactly was that?" Mrs. Weasley queried, her lips pursed in an almost Aunt Petunia-ish fashion.

Harry checked the battered golden watch on his wrist and gulped. "It was about four hours ago…"he said in disbelief "Hasn't anyone seen her since then?" He shot a desperate look around the table. Everyone shook their red-haired heads.

Harry swore under his breath. He pushed his chair away from the table and made to get up. He suddenly lost his appetite. "I'm going to go look for her." He announced to no one in particular.

He was making for the door when Cho suddenly burst in, all smiles. She didn't seem to notice the tension in the air and she cheerfully bounded up to Harry, beaming. "He's fine!" she squealed, "He said we're welcome to eat there again in no time and he promises to never get controlled by Death Eaters ever again." she told him like an overjoyed child.

Mrs. Weasley narrowed her eyes at the sight of Cho and folded her arms. Harry on the other hand, regarded her like she was insane.

"What did you do to Ginny?" Mrs. Weasley demanded in a voice of subdued fury.

Harry, along with everybody else in the room, gave Mrs. Weasley a confused look. Mrs. Weasley noticed all of them looking and snorted through her nose like an angered cat. She planted both of her hands on her waist and glared at everyone.

"Well, she's already harmed her once! Erased her memory and everything! What makes you think she won't do it again?!" she shrieked, pointing a finger straight at Cho's face. Cho looked startled and took a step away from Mrs. Weasley's finger.

"I shouldn't have allowed you in this house in the first place! But Harry swore you were going to help. Look at what has happened now! Ginny's vanished. And…and…oh, I don't know what to do!" she cried hysterically. She was waving her hands frantically over her head.

Harry gazed at Mrs. Weasley. Honestly he thought that she looked like she had lost her mind. Though there was a niggling doubt in his head that kept on telling him that Mrs. Weasley was right. He had every right to doubt her now, but this wasn't the time to blow off on her, it was the time to search for Ginny. Being unsure of her safety was one of the worst feelings he had ever felt.

He pushed past Cho and exited through the door; leaving a stuttering Cho and a glaring Mrs. Weasley behind. His hero complex was tearing him in two ways. Save Cho from Mrs. Weasleys legendary temper or Save Ginny from whatever danger she was in. He decided to save the one that matters most to him. The unknown always brought more fear than what was obvious.

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A/N: I wanted to write more in this chapter but I momentarily forgot what to put in it. :p. So my early posting of this premature chapter might make the chapters I originally planned to include one or two more. Hmmm, is that good or bad?


	13. Ricordo Recupero

Disclaimer: Not mine. Not yours. It's hers. (You all know who I'm talking about right?) -Insert evil laugh here for some reason-

I am so sorry that this chapter took a really long time to post! The year so far has been so busy. We barely even have time to do our projects because we still have dance practices for the prom every weekend. We had our fieldtrip last valentines, the prom next week, our long tests this week and our finals on the first week of March.

I am bushed.

It's a good thing that I managed to post this today. Hope you like it. Though it is rushed because of time pressure.

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Cho sat alone in Grimauld Place's kitchen. Her eyes were red and she was staring absent-mindedly at the stone-cold floor. She had just gotten home after the fight with Ginny's mother. She had tried her best to convince Mrs. Weasley that she had nothing to do with Ginny's disappearance but she didn't listen. In the end Mr. Weasley had to break up the fight and he was the one who had told Cho to go home. And she had.

Harry still hadn't returned, knowing Harry, Cho knew that he might not even come home tonight. He loved the darn girl too much to give up looking for her. Tears stung her already bloodshot eyes but she refused to let them fall.

_Stupid! Stupid!_ She berated herself.

A tawny owl flew into the room, knocking her out of her self-torture session. It dropped a small note on Cho's lap and promptly flew out. Cho gaped at the note for a few minutes before she lifted it up and read it. Her mouth opened in horror. The letter was written messily, like the person who wrote it was in a real hurry, and it was evident why.

_Chang,_

_I've got Ginny. Don't tell Potter. It's your chance to snag him. I won't be giving Ginny back so don't bother looking._

_D.T._

She felt cold all over. Dean had asked her if she wanted help. She had said no hadn't she? Why was he doing this? She didn't ask for it. She didn't want this to happen. She stood up and pointed her wand at the offending piece of paper and shakily uttered: "Incendio!"

The paper burst into flames. Erasing all that was written on it. Cho shuddered to think what Harry would say if he read it. He would think that she had betrayed him. But then there was another dilemma to face. Would she tell him?

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Hermione trudged through the shelf lined walls of Malfoy Manor, her hands laden with thick dusty tomes which hadn't been touched for what seemed to be years and years. The library in the Manor was fairly huge but it was not as magnificent as that of Hogwarts.

She sighed. She couldn't believe that Draco could have this big of a library in his house and not at least try to learn all the knowledge it offered. He was putting this place to a waste.

Once she was clear of the towering bookcases and the handsome tables with tottering books on top, she caught sight of a platinum-blonde haired man lounging on an armchair. His head was lolling to one side and his usually well-kept hair was sticking in all directions, much like Harry's. He was also unmistakably, deeply asleep.

Hermione smiled mischievously. She hastened her pace and when she had drawn close to the table she deliberately dropped the too heavy books louder than usual, directly in front of the sleeping blond man.

"Ah!' The man jolted awake. He looked around quickly and when his eyes settled on Hermione he groaned and settled back into his chair. "Mione…" he mumbled in an accusing tone.

Hermione giggled. Then she drew up and said in a brisk tone: "Your fault Drake, you shouldn't be sleeping. We're supposed to be researching!" she grabbed the topmost books labelled "Unearthing Locked Memories." And flipped it open, scanning the table of contents.

Draco leaned forward and hesitantly grabbed a book of his own. "Why are we doing this anyway?" he grumbled from behind the book. "I thought it was supposed to be Potter and Chang who were supposed to do this!"

Hermione rolled her eyes at the top of Draco's head (that was the only part of him visible). "They haven't got the time." She said. "Now you be a good boy, Drake, and read."

Draco gave a little snort, causing Hermione to glare at him in a way that made him flinch. "Fine, fine." He muttered and buried his head in the book.

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_Ding! Dong!_

Cho looked up from the ashes of the note. She quickly pushed the ashes of the table and straightened up her robes.

"Coming!" she called.

With another look around the room to make sure that she really hadn't left anything to show what she had read about in the note, she left the kitchen and went into the hall. She flung the door open and found the most unlikely person, standing there. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. It wasn't Harry after all. He wouldn't have had rung the doorbell in the first place.

"Ron?"

"Hi." He said breathlessly. "Can I come in?"

"Uh…okay." Cho fidgeted for a moment before stepping aside to let Ron in. "Umm, I don't mean to be rude but, what are you doing here?"

Ron removed his jacket and spread it on the sofa. He sat down and then gave Cho a very grave look. "I'm sorry about what my mum said. It wasn't right of her to accuse you like that without any proof."

Cho could only stare. Was this the same person who had tactlessly harassed her about supporting the tornadoes while she was having a talk with Harry? It didn't seem like him. The years must have taught him some tack, and by the strained look in his eyes, he had experienced a hard time from it.

Ron scratched the back of his head with a look of uneasiness on his face. Cho sat down on the seat beside him.

"Why are you doing this?" Cho blurted.

Ron looked even more uneasy at her question and took a moment to reply. "I guess…it's because I know how it feels." When he saw Cho's puzzled look he sighed and he continued talking: "I've been where you are Cho. I've even done worse than you did. All to win the heart of someone who didn't love me back."

Cho didn't know whether she should sympathize with him or if she should take his statement personally. She decided against both. He had come here for a good reason, she thought.

Ron looked her straight in the eye as he raked his pale thin fingers through his vivid Weasley red hair. "I know how it feels to have loved and lost. It's hard. I know. But you know what I did in the end? After all the things I've done?"

Cho shook his head and Ron's ears turned pink. He looked incredibly sad and yet no tear came from his troubled blue eyes.

"I walked away." He said simply.

Cho stared at him dumbly, feeling all sorts of emotions bubbling inside her: Pain, Anger, Anguish, Sympathy, and love.

"I knew that I could never have that girl. She already loved somebody else and I couldn't change that. But she was happy. I saw that. And I realized that she could never be that happy with me. She was happy, and I became happy for her."

Cho looked into his eyes and saw that he was sincere about everything he was telling her about right now. He was in pain. But he was somewhat content with his lot.

"Who was this girl?" she asked softly.

"Hermione Granger."

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"Drake!" Hermione squealed.

"Hmmm…What?" Draco mumbled grumpily.

"Wake up!" she said, shaking his shoulders, causing his head to loll from side to side.

"Why are you so excited?" he grumbled.

"Just wake up!"

Draco opened his eyes to find a beaming Hermione standing over him, the customary bigger-than-your-house book held against her chest.

"What happened?" he asked stupidly.

"You fell asleep." There was a hint of irritation in her voice.

"I know that…I mean, why are you so excited?"

"I found it!!!" she squealed excitedly.

"Found what?"

Hermione scoffed and opened the humongous book and showed him a page.

"Honestly Draco, when you first wake up you're brain dead." She teased with a small smile on her face.

"Well at least I get better later on." He countered before turning to the book. Squinting at the place Hermione was pointing at.

_**The **__**Ricordo Recupero**_

This potion has roots in Italian history and was originally created by Luigi Zabini in 1872. This potion was administered daily to his ailing wife who had unfortunately lost her memory because of a duel gone awry with an unknown woman.

The potion helps remove natural and magical barriers placed in the mind that prevents the said person to access them, thus causing thought memory loss.

When the memories are only locked in a part in the brain by a potion, incantation or any sort of magicke this potion can help reduce the time needed for the brain to recuperate.

Then there was a page-long list of ingredients and two pages of instructions on how to brew the potion.

Draco's eyes widened as he continued to read the now miraculous book. When he had finished reading all the ingredients (with a pinch of powdered boomslang skin being the last one.) he looked up with his charming vampire smile which greatly exposed his unnaturally sharp incisors.

"This is perfect!" he said.

"I'm sure Harry would love it. Maybe you too would even make up when you give him this information." Hermione said a teasing sound in her voice.

"Just keep dreaming Mione, 'cause that's never going to happen. Scarhead and I will always be enemies." And when Hermione shot him a lethal look he added. "It's bad for my reputation." Innocently, with his hand on the back of his head and a small smile on his handsome face.

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Cho looked at the red-head before her. Unbelieving black eyes looked into his sorrowful stormily-blue orbs.

"What happened?" she asked in barely a whisper of a voice.

"Let's just say I acted stupid. I let my anger take control of me." Ron said covering his eyes. "And she ran away, frightened I reckon, that's when she met the ferret. That's when I realized that I had to change."

"I'm sorry." Was all that Cho could say.

"You know what? Let's not talk about the past." Ron said, suddenly standing up, false cheeriness in his voice. "It makes me feel weird."

"Thank you for coming here today Ron. I never expected it from you." Cho said, flustered. She didn't know what she did to make Ron confess these stuff about his past but it made her really uncomfortable. There was also this little voice nagging her at the back of her head, telling her to tell Ron what she knew about what happened to Ginny, but she just couldn't seem to bring herself to do so. She'd found a new friend, someone who knew what it was like to be the unloved one. She didn't want to lose him.

Ron checked his watch and sighed. "I've got to get back to the Burrow. My mum would be getting worried." He picked up his coat and gave her a small smile. "Sorry, I couldn't spend more time with you, but I hope you don't blame yourself, mum was just not thinking."

He said it so sincerely that the nagging in her head got worse.

_Tell him that Dean had Ginny! Go On!_

_But he might get mad._

_He'll get even madder if you don't tell him._

_But he won't even have to know that I know!_

_Dean could use this as blackmail. Tell Ron!_

And then Ron was waling toward the door, muttering something about having to help Harry find his little sister. Cho looked at his back, will she tell him? Won't she?

"Bye." Ron said with a backwards glance slightly raising his hand. Then he opened the door and walked out. Leaving Cho still standing stock-still at the hallway. Not knowing that if he had waited just a moment longer, the good, nagging part of Cho would have won and she would have told him that Dean had his sister.

But how was he supposed to know that?

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Please Review!

By the way. What is a Mary sue?


	14. Sorry NOT a chapter

**A/N: i'm sorry people but this isn't a chapter. I'm sorry I haven't been able to update in a long while and I still won't be updating for some time. But I am working on the next chapter (I promise!) it just isn't ready yet. Added to that I still have to work on getting into a good college and school has just started again (where I live school starts at june and ends in May. ) im finally a senior and am graduating at the end of the year but things are pretty hectic (gah, my physics teacher gave us a 60 question assignment about exponents! Too many computations running in my head, it's torture I tell you)**

**I thought I'd just let you know that I am not giving up on this story! I just fell into a big plot hole and now I've gotten out of it and am typing. I've thought of a new twist and I absolutely love it! (I hope you do too) but I won't tell you anymore about that.**

**Till next time!**

**-Jen**

**Ps. Dyan sa mga mahilig sa postscript(oo Mimi ikaw kausap ko) hinihintay ko na review mo! :D. Tumawag ako sa inyo pero wala ka daw pumunta ka daw sa quezon city. Ewan ko nga ba kung bakit ditto ako nagmemessage sayo eh pwede naming kita itext. Wahahah, adik eh. 0_o**


	15. Deliberations

Disclaimer: Nope, unfortunately, this isn't mine. I dreamt that it was…hey! Maybe that was a prophetic dream! :P

A/N:I must tell you, I am very dedicated to this story. :D. It's raining in torrents outside, and it's so awesome because the flood water entered our house and so everything is wet, but here I am still typing away so that I can post this!

Isn't it so awesome that HP6 is already out? So great! They show the trailer on TV now and I'm like "AHHHH!!!"

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The sun was setting slowly, its beautiful blaze contrasting gently against the blood-red sky. It sunk in the flat never-ending horizon, marking that the day had ended, and the night was coming. Yet, one Harry James Potter could not accept it. He glared at the sun, willing it to rise up again, or at the very least, to stay where it was; because Ginny Weasley couldn't have been gone for seven hours, no.

But it didn't do any good. It didn't matter that he was the boy-who-lived, the Chosen one, the person who had saved them all one too many times. He was still just a man, and the sun continued its course downward, unhindered by a mere mortals will.

Frustrated by his failure, Harry kicked the tiny vulnerable stone who dared to block his path and watched in satisfaction as it soared way from him and splashed down into the pond quite some distance away. He sank upon the hard grassy ground, defeated, and he began tugging moodily at the grass surrounding him. Childish it may be, but he had never truly been a child, and he believed that he deserved this little bout of immaturity, he had just failed to find Ginny after all.

He had searched the entire day, turned the Burrow inside out, checked the Marauders map and all of Ginny's favourite hang outs; The fact that Ginny may not remember any of these places anymore escaping his mind in his desperation. Yet, he had not found the red-headed maiden, not a trace.

So here he was now, soaking in the last rays of light that the sun could provide, wondering what on earth Destiny had against him. Why did these things always happen to him? There were billions of other people in the world, why was it always him?

Harry raised his arms over his head and stretched his tense muscles, he knew he probably had to go back to Grimauld place at any moment now. Cho would be waiting for him. But then, he couldn't help thinking, Cho was at home, safe. Ginny on the other hand, was another story. She had disappeared, who knows where, and there was no way of knowing how she was, or, Merlin forbid, if she was even still alive. Why should he prioritize Cho over Ginny? There was no reason for it. So he stayed, gathering his strength before he left for his appointment with one of his contacts in the ministry.

Today had been a tiring day, both emotionally and physically, so he propped himself backward on his elbows, fully intending to settle down for a few minutes. And he would have, if he hadn't been interrupted by something hard and rather sharp digging into his left elbow. He shot up, rubbing the offended appendage and cursing softly under his breath. He glared down at the patch of grass his elbow had been buried in, only to catch a bright glint of gold from something that definitely did not belong in an open field in the country. He grabbed it and lifted it up from a long golden chain and realized that it was Ginny's locket. To be precise, it was the locket that he and Cho had bought for her because it was believed to have a good effect on the mind and help in improving ones memory.

Harry felt a faint blossoming of hope in his chest, something he had not realized he had lost, and he quickly scanned his surroundings, hoping for a glimpse of the redhead he so loved. But it was to no avail. The locket had long lost its warmth. It had probably been abandoned here hours before, but why, Harry did not know.

But she had been here, that was what was important. She had stood but a few feet from where he was. Standing close yet far too late, strengthened Harry's resolve; He stood up from his spot on the ground, clutching the locket close to his heart. His face glowing because of the pinkish light from the sun and he walked off, a slight spring added in his step and renewed determination on his handsome face.

He was off for his meeting with his contact from the ministry, because though they had gotten into a spat a few weeks ago, they had still spent nine long years together. It was an added bonus that Dean Thomas was already a member of the Auror Department. After all, Harry was quite sure that Dean would be just as eager to find Ginny as he was; Right?

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Cho absentmindedly wrung her hands as he paced within the confines of Grimauld Place; Her guilt for not telling Ron that she knew where Ginny was weighing down on her conscience. She still did have one after all, no matter what Mrs. Weasley decided to say against her it didn't make it anymore true.

Kreacher popped into the room, a mug of steaming hot coffee in his multi-jointed hands, Cho thanked him and took the cup, she savoured the warmth they exhibited to her cool fingers and sighed. Pacing would do her no good. She had already established that Harry wouldn't be returning for the night once the clock had gone past seven, so there was no reason to wait for him anymore. But what was she to do? She swallowed a mouthful of coffee, fully knowing the negative effects it had on her jangly nerves, but she loved the taste of coffee, even when it was like it was now, scalding hot and burning down her throat.

She had decided that she could not go find Ron at the Burrow any time soon. The tension was still high there, she still wasn't even sure if Mrs. Weasley would ever allow her in the house again. She had no means to contact Harry either, and if she was to wait until tomorrow, she'd probably go mad. She just had to do something. She began pacing again, downing the coffee in large gulps, and then suddenly, the idea came to her. She couldn't contact any of the men involved, but Dean, she could talk to him. Maybe she could convince him to quit with his tricks. She had no idea where he lived, but she did know that he had been hired as an auror recently. It was late, but with luck, he might still be there.

She checked herself on the mirror while striding down the hall, she looked haunted, but aside from that, she looked just fine. Sending Kreacher away with her mug, she grabbed a pinch of floo powder and stepped into the emerald green flames leaving Grimauld Place with a loud shout of "The Ministry of Magic!"

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A/N: Okay fine, nothing really happened, gosh, things are moving so slow! But I'll update faster now! Or as fast as I can manage, maybe next week I'll have the next chapter up (since I often write during math class now, it's better than sleeping in the subject, [which is what I usually do]). :D


	16. Left or Right?

Disclaimer: Nope, unfortunately, this isn't mine. I dreamt that it was…hey! Maybe that was a prophetic dream! :P

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Cho walked as fast as her legs could allow her without breaking into an actual run. She was in a government building after all, and running though hallways was always frowned upon, let alone in this place. She had early on asked the man the the wand-checking station whether he knew where the Auror offices were and since he seemed to be in a good mood, he had actually taken up the time to draw out a map for her. One which she was currently poring over. Yes! She just needed to make a left in this corner here and she would see....

"Harry!"

She hadn't meant to say his name out loud but she did, causing him to look up from a pile of papers and pictures he was analyzing. He looked surprised at the sight of her her while she tried her best to fight back the panic bubbling up her throat. She opened her mouth feeling unnaturally uncomfortable under his piercing green gaze, while the little people in her head went running around for an excuse that may be good enough for this situation but her arsenal had run dry.

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on which person you're talking about, Dean took that moment to appear around one corner, a jovial smile on his face and a rather thin file held in his hand. He grinned at the sight of Cho, a smile that caused her insides to twist into a knot. One that was really going to be hard to untangle. Cho closed her mouth quickly, not wanting to appear like a gaping idiot and did the only thing that she could think of doing in a situation like that. She smiled.

"Hi."her mouth worked mechanically.

"What are you doing her Cho?" Harry asked, Cho was quite relieved that his question did not have any trace of the accusation she was sure he would direct at her at any moment. Before she could answer, Dean cut her off with a predatorial smirk on his face. She had this growing fear that she had just walked into a trap, but there was nothing there to support her answer, it was just this nagging feeling in the gut and if had learned anything at all from Harry, it was to trust your instincts. But what good could her instincts do her now?

"I invited her to join us." Dean said as if it was the most natural thing to do, he lied perfectly. Experts said that people tended to look to the left when they lied. It wasn't true in Dean's case, his gaze bore into yours as if he was daring you to contradict him , to tell him that he was lying, and it was effective. Harry quickly accepted it as the truth and resumed his perusal of the oh-so-important document he was reading, whatever it was. "She happens to be a Ravenclaw, and can give us a new insight on some things." Dean wiggled his eyebrows at her and when he was sure that Harry wasn't looking, he took the chance to give her a wink.

Cho was fuming inside. She had come here to warn Dean off trying to keep Ginny, not to help him trick Harry. She bit her lip and let her gaze cross over the dark-headed man bent over in his chair as he feverishly turned the pages of the papers and pictures he was looking at, his eyes were blurs in his face as he read as fast as his brain power could allow, determination was etched on his face, whereas on Dean was a look of triumph, and Cho absolutely hated it.

What was she supposed to choose? She couldn't outright deny Dean here could she, Harry was here, he'd find out that she knew where Ginny was and he might take it in a different way. But she couldn't possibly help him either, her conscience was already heavy enough without adding another burden to it. She watched as Dean handed the long clear file to Harry and barely listened as Dean mentioned that the muggle man lived in Ottery St. Catchpole, and that he was a possible suspect for the kidnapping. Harry snatched it vehemently out of Dean's hands and immediately began to read, missing the satisfied smirk on Dean's face. Dean was deliberately handing Harry plausible yet false suspects and order of events to the disappearance of Ginny, and Cho didn't like it one bit. So what would she choose? Would she go left where nothings right and help Dean and in exchange get Harry's heart? Or would she do right but have nothing left by confronting Dean there and then and having Harry's wrath descend on the pair of them.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts and made her decision,: "I think that that muggle man couldn't have been the one to take Ginny." she spouted, causing Dean to raise both eyebrows at her (he was incapable of doing the one eye-brow raise) and Harry to look up from the report again with a hint of impatience on his face.

"Why would you say so?" Harry asked coolly.

_Because Dean's the one who took her._ Cho longed to say but the answer that came out was different. She ahd arranged her goals again and remembered what was more important to her at that moment, gaining Harry's heart.

"You see, he was on a vacation to Majorca, still is, it's written in his file as you could see here. " and Cho pointed the little detail out. She could feel Dean physically relax behind her and she vowed that he would pay for this later. "Now Dennis Creevey here, " Cho said, pointing to a picture of mousy boy almost identical to the one that had died two years ago, " Is more likely to have taken her. He was in the area, is a magic user, and is known to have shared love interests with his brother Collin. As you may know, Collin had become a boyfriend of Ginny's in the past." Cho looked up from her explanation and gazed into Harry's eyes, fearing that he would look into her soul and see that even though her words were sincere, her motives weren't.

However, Harry merely smiled at her and said a few words that were enough to break her heart. "Yes," he murmured, nodding his head in assent, "I believe you."

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A/N: Okay i'll be churning out fairly short chapters for now, it's 2 am and my mom told me that i shouldn't stay up too late but oh look! It's so late it's early. :p. I'll try to update tomorrow to make up for this ugly chapter, but hey, no gurantees, i still do have a lot of projects to do. Ans procrastination is one of my fortes. :p

I want to thank all those who have taken the time to review and read this fic. Thanks for being patient with me. :p.


	17. Ginny

Disclaimer: I don't own anything!

A/N: I'm updating using my iTouch. It's kinda hard to type and if there are any typo errors I'm sorry. But at least I update, right?

Btw, if some of you have been wondering why Harry and Cho haven't *ahem* consummated their marriage yet, well honestly, I forgot to put that in, but I don't think they'd be worrying about that any time soon anyway, with Ginny gone and everything. But not to worry, there is going to be one, but I won't be going into detail, or maybe I will, wahaha, gosh, this is going to be a tough thing to write!

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Ginny woke up to the sound of flowing water. It was soothing, and she kept her eyes sealed shut as she listened to the crashing sound as water splashed against rock. Her body ached all over that she had no desire to move, but the pain in her head began to ebb away the longer that she listened to the steady rhythm.

Slowly the memories of what had happened to her returned. Not the memories before the wedding, mind you, but the memories of the events that had eventually led to her ending up in such a place. She recalled running off, the pond and Dean. She had drowned, she thought, remembering the terrible feeling of helplessness she had felt as her body mass dragged her deeper and deeper to the bottom of the pond.

Had Dean saved her? She couldn't recall. She could have just as easily washed up on the shore of the pond or something. The sound of water around her made her believe that she wasn't indoors. But then, why was she lying on something soft? She even had a blanket and a pillow, from what she could tell without opening her eyes. Dean probably had saved her, but the important question now was: where was she?

Curiosity got the better of her and she braced herself against the pain that she knew would hit her brain once light hit her still rather delicate eyes and opened them. Only to be met with darkness.

She was in a cave of some sort. Like all caves, it was dark and damp, but Ginny wasn't the least bit frightened, she had encountered worse, the back of her mind told her, though she couldn't recall exactly what occasion that had been.

A few lanterns lit up the wall of the cave, emitting a faint glow because the candles in them were all melted and their flames continuously flickered in and out of existence. She shakily got out of the bed and immediately spotted the cave entrance. It was large; three men could easily fit through it while marching side by side. The only problem of course, was that it was blocked by a waterfall. From what Ginny could see from behind the cascading water, the cave was way high up, period.

How could she have gotten up here? She began exploring her surroundings, but found nothing of interest, it was all rock, just rock, there was dark rock and light rock, but that was all it was, rock. Eventually though, she began hearing the sound of voices through a particularly light shaded part of the cave wall.

"Return her immediately! She isn't an object that you can steal! She's a person!" the voices were muffled, Ginny could tell that the one speaking was a girl, but because of filtering of the sound through the rock, that was all that she could pick up.

"Quit it. You know you're happy." The second voice was the voice of a man, large and deep, but not one she recognized.

"Stop it!" there was a faint sound of something crashing into a wall, "Stop it!"

The man was laughing now, even as she listened to the stone walls Ginny knew that the laugh was hollow, faked, it was chilling and depressing at the same time. The man said something else but Ginny couldn't decipher what he said anymore. By the sound of their muffled conversation, they were now moving away from the wall. Ginny strained to hear some more but the voices had already gone away. Ginny huffed in irritation

She waited for someone to come, or even for voices to listen to again, anything. But nothing happened. She didn't know how long she waited, the only way to tell time in the cave was the shade the water from the waterfall as the candles had been charmed to be long-lasting. When her stomach began to rumble she began to worry that they would be starving her, but she needn't have worried. A weird humanoid creature with large eyes popped in just as her stomach was really beginning to hurt, and left her a tray of food which she emptied immediately.

She didn't know who was keeping her, but if she had a good guess, she'd bet it was Dean. Though the 'why' was the big question. And the 'how long' was running up second. Would she ever see the outside world again? She certainly hoped so as she curled up in the bed she had woken up on, dreaming of the emerald eyed man who had taken care of her so much. She wouldn't want to worry him.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Cho shivered as a gust of cold wind passed by her, winter was coming and it was making itself known. She wrapped her coat tighter around her body and continued trudging through the leaf covered streets. Her head swirling with thoughts, voices she often heard were arguing again, one was scolding her, telling her how stupid she was to play along with Dean, the other one was praising her and was urging her to take the next step, Cho ignored them both, shaking her head as she entered Grimauld place to rid her of these unhelpful thoughts.

Harry wasn't home yet, but she hadn't expected anything but that. With a huge sigh, she dropped down into the loveseat and began rubbing her temples. Dean had been hard to deal with. She'd argued with him for a really long itme but she hadn't even made him change his mind by an inch. He was set in his ways, in his mind Ginny was his and his alone.

What really was troubling Cho at the moment, was not really her failure at trying to convince Dean to return Ginny. It was, in fact, her satisfaction at not being able too. She couldn't understand it. She wanted Ginny back, she'd become a nice friend over the weeks they'd spent together. Cho didn't have very many friends anymore. She realized that, when she graduated, that most of the girls she surrounded herself with were only there to benefit from her popularity. When she'd graduated she'd fallen into an entirely new world with a different pecking order and she was at the bottom of it.

But Ginny hadn't cared for any of that. Ginny was brave, and fun and true and Cho absolutely hated it. She would have liked it better if Ginny had been a clingy and stupid moron, but she was the exact opposite. Cho saw what Harry liked in Ginny and she hated it because she knew that she, Cho knew, was completely different.

Suddenly possessed by all her pent up jealousy and distress, she seized the closest thing to her, which happened to be a book Harry had been reading the other day, and heaved it against the wall with all her might.

And that was when she began screaming. She cried and screamed till her voice was raw and her face felt so sticky because of all the crying she'd been doing. She knelt down on the floor, hiccupping slightly and began to sob, in exchange for the screaming because she had exhausted her voice. She tried to pull herself together, but for some reason she just couldn't manage it. Once she'd begun crying she just couldn't stop and it began flowing out in torrents. That was the situation she was in when Hermione walked in with a pile of books which she immediately dropped at the sight of her.

"Cho!"


End file.
